Anthony Richardson's Style, Not Different, Just Smarter
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's season was cut short after a shoulder injury in a Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans.
It wasn't the first time the rookie quarterback had been injured. He finished only one of his four starts before being shelved for the season.
The narrative after his season-ending injury was that he would need to learn to protect himself better to survive a 17-game season in the NFL. While Richardson admits he needs to be smarter about his game, he's not ready to change what has made him successful.
"No, I don’t think so," Richardson said at the Colts' season-end press conference this week. "It’s just a matter of me just being out there, learning when to get down, when not to get down."
Richardson explained that some of the injuries weren't due to his playing style, but just bad luck.
"Some of the injuries were unfortunate. Like my ankle getting stepped up on, hitting my knee on the turf really hard – just stuff like that, stuff that I can’t control," said Richardson. "But the ones that I can control, I’ve got to prevent those like me slowing up near the end zone and getting a concussion. That was completely on me. Then getting tackled, I can’t really prevent that – I was trying to brace myself for it and unfortunately my shoulder did what it did."
"I don’t think I have to change the way I play, just being a little smarter when the time does come."
Richardson was asked if he thought his play might be more hesitant after the rash of injuries he suffered his rookie season.
"No, I feel like I’m going to stay the same," said Richardson. "Keep being me, keep playing the way I’m playing, but like I said, being a little smarter when the time is needed. I can’t try and run through everybody. If it’s first-and-10, get what I can get and get down, get out of bounds, get to the sideline and do what I can do."
Being smarter is another way of saying being more strategic. If Anthony Richardson needs to be physical, he won't hesitate to use his imposing size and strength.
"If the game is on the line, I’ve got to go out there and compete," said Richardson. "It’s just a matter of being smart for myself and the team. I’m going to try and do that for sure."
Richardson was thought to be a project that would need some time to adjust to the NFL. However, his learning curve appeared to be accelerated, and he had early success before being lost for the season.
The Colts finished the season 9-8 and had Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor on the field together for a total of two plays. Head coach Shane Steichen and Colts fans have to be excited about seeing the pair of them healthy and productive in 2024.
