EXCLUSIVE: Why Colts were impressed with Anthony Richardson’s maturity, growth behind the scenes following season-ending injury

Even though Anthony Richardson only played four games in his rookie season, his teammates and coaches saw positive signs from the 2023 No. 4th pick overall.

After having shoulder surgery in the fall, Anthony Richardson had to return to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, which presented a challenge for him to overcome.

Any development that would occur for the youthful Foals quarterback would need to occur in the background. Yet, in the background, the Yearlings’ emphasis was on the most proficient method to beat their forthcoming adversary. And keeping in mind that the Yearlings would be Richardson’s group again in 2024, in 2023, it was presently Gardner Minshew II’s group.

Apparently, Richardson – who’s still just 21 years of age – effortlessly took care of that dynamic.

“He worked really hard of regarding that and grasping that,” quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. ” He was extremely uplifting and worked really hard of supporting Gardner and being glad for him, yet in addition proceeding to act naturally.”

Not only did Minshew have to take the lead, but Richardson also had to deal with watching his fellow first-year players play in Houston and Charlotte.

Pittman stated, “People don’t want to talk about it, but that’s taxing on your mental.” “Especially being such a young guy and watching CJ (Stroud) and Bryce (Young) play, people don’t want to talk about it.” And just knowing that he wants to be out there too after watching them play well. He also feels everything, including the pressure. He’s simply prepared to play, he’s buckling down. I would expect his best ball not far off.

“As soon as this year.”

Richardson’s partners repeated Pittman’s words there since they saw the work and responsibility he put into the two his recovery interaction and his from the-field improvement. As Richardson became more at ease in the Colts’ facility, Ehlinger noticed that he was displaying more and more of his personality. He was “secured in,” Ehlinger said, during rehearses and much of the time posed inquiries about the strategy and how to go after contradicting guards. Richardson perseveringly took notes in gatherings.

Furthermore, around the Indiana Homestead Department Football Center, his colleagues saw a player not just carefully assault his recovery from shoulder a medical procedure, yet a player who, as running back Jonathan Taylor said, was “anxious to learn.”

“He’s continuously strolling around with an iPad in his grasp or he’s strolling right close to mentor and he’s attempting to learn, he needs to learn,” Taylor said. ” So whenever you got somebody capable like that yet in addition that appetite to learn, folks have to look out. Since those are the ones you need to keep an eye out for.”

Throughout the season, head coach Shane Steichen said he had “good meetings” with Richardson and saw the 2023 No. 4 generally speaking pick shift his attitude to capitalizing on learning through watching as opposed to learning through playing.

“Simply conversing with him exclusively going through various stuff – just football 101 stuff (like) inclusions and fronts and going through what do we like versus this look what not,” Steichen said. ” He was absorbing it, and he was wired in all year clearly doing his recovery. Anticipating his future one year from now.”

The Yearlings’ support about the work Richardson put in the background, as well, is helped by what he did when he played as a tenderfoot. The Yearlings saw not exclusively Richardson’s normal ability, however his balance, football level of intelligence and feel for playing quarterback radiate through.

“I thought when he played he was unstable and he was electric,” Steichen said in October. ” Every time he takes the field, he gives us a chance to win football games. Simply his huge play capacity, tossing the ball down the field – the runs that he had, the four score runs in the restricted time he played. Be that as it may, there is gigantic chance for him proceeding and this establishment.”

So as the Foals shift their concentration toward working for 2024 with Richardson back in the blend, they’ll do so putting stock in the additions their kid quarterback made both when his season-finishing injury.

“For a person so youthful to go ride the thrill ride like he has ups and downs, to perceive how he just stayed with it – I feel better about Anthony’s future, man,” Minshew said. ” He will be great. The manner in which he readies, the manner in which he sees things, man I can see exactly the way that serious he was in any event, when he was out. Man, he was enraged, just like at that game a few nights ago. He desired victory. I believe that all of those things will benefit him greatly and this team greatly.”