Colts' Anthony Richardson Given Promising Odds for 2024 NFL MVP
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson had an unfortunate end to his bright 2023 rookie season.
After only four games played, he sustained an AC joint injury in his throwing shoulder during the Colts' Week 5 contest against the Tennessee Titans. This setback was serious enough to sideline him for the remainder of the year.
However, in his limited time on the NFL stage, Richardson displayed uncanny athletic ability, great arm strength and pass velocity, and better mechanics than expected.
Many also believed he would be substantially behind the eight ball as a rookie NFL quarterback due to only having 13 college starts at Florida.
Despite the detractors, Richardson showed enough with head coach Shane Steichen to sway the experts at FanDuel to include him as the leader of their Dark Horse MVP Candidates for 2024.
While it's far too early to tell, Richardson's skills still likely outweigh every other player on this list.
His +3000 odds are a long shot, but when considering that Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff is a distant +2000 behind Richardson after nearly making the Super Bowl, it puts things into perspective what analysts think of the former number four overall pick's potential.
Even without seeing USC's Caleb Williams and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy in an NFL uniform, they may not have the variety of ways to attack opposing defenses that Richardson does.
Now, this is a list of underdog MVP candidates. The likes of notable superstar players such as quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), and running back Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers) are more of the true favorites to take the award of the best player in the NFL. Richardson's spot at the top of FanDuel's list may seem premature, but his ceiling of talent isn't.
For Richardson to reach these expectations, he must continue to grow as an NFL quarterback, stay healthy for the entire season, work well with his offensive weapons, and win somewhat consistently.
The good news is he's already in the process of throwing again after his shoulder surgery.
Star players like running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. will also need to be on the field with Richardson.
The former must avoid injuries, while the latter has to get a new contract or be franchise-tagged to remain on the roster.
The upcoming free agency waves and NFL Draft will paint a telling picture if Richardson gets the help he needs to potentially shock the world and win the league MVP when the 2024 campaign concludes.
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