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After Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Anthony Richardson would be reinstated as QB1 for the remainder of the season, the second-year pro stood in front of his locker, surrounded by a throng of media members. A reporter asked him how much more appreciation he has for the position he’s in — the hopeful face of a franchise — after having it taken away for a brief period.
He spoke from a place of humility.
“You understand the magnitude of everything,” Richardson said. “You understand the magnitude of the position. You understand the magnitude of the work that you got to put in just to make sure you’re right for the team.”
Can he prove to be right for the Colts, though?
That’s the big question for Richardson and the organization, the uphill battle they face.
We can talk about the poor optics of the Colts’ process in benching Richardson, the lack of transparency with the public before Wednesday and the holes in how they handled both. But going back to the former No. 4 overall pick brings this reality: It’s rare in league history to find early-round quarterbacks who were benched and later went on to have success with that franchise.
According to The Indianapolis Star, 74 quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round since 2000. Just two of them — Alex Smith with the San Francisco 49ers and Rex Grossman with the Chicago Bears — were drafted, became the starter, were demoted and then returned to have sustained success with the same team. When highly-drafted quarterbacks do turn out to be a hit later in their careers, it’s typically with other franchises (think Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold).
The Colts will hope Richardson is the rare exception — just as he’s a rare prospect.
We can’t ignore that his completion rate through six starts (44.4%) is historically bad, just like we can’t ignore the wow throws he’s made (his 16.2 yards per completion would lead all qualified quarterbacks)…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/anthony-richardson-colts-face-uphill-battle-make-partnership-work-long-term
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Publish date : 2024-11-13 19:06:57
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