CBS Reveals Colts Biggest Question Heading into Season
The Indianapolis Colts started last season with aspirations of a long-playoff run, but those aspirations crashed and burned en route to a four-win season.
The head coach was fired. The owner put a former player with no NFL-coaching experience in charge, and the Colts turned to the offseason with a massive overhaul including a new coach and 12 new players from the draft.
Since then, the team found itself in a very public spat with its best player. To say the Colts have a lot of question marks heading into the season is an understatement.
What happens with Jonathan Taylor? How good will Shane Steichen be in his first year as a head coach? Will Shaq Leonard be healthy? Can the offensive line return to form? The list goes on and on.
However, CBS Sports feels, and they're probably right, that the biggest question for the Colts is No. 4 overall draft pick Anthony Richardson. As Richardson goes, the Colts go in 2023.
How steep will Anthony Richardson's learning curve be?
Anthony Richardson is expected to start Week 1, and while he's a tantalizing athlete, that's not what makes someone a good quarterback. We shouldn't overlook the growing pains that are likely coming. Richardson's 13 college starts are tied for the fewest by a first-round quarterback since 2000 (Mitch Trubisky in 2017), and he had the worst career completion percentage in college (55%) by a first-round quarterback since Jake Locker in 2011. Shane Steichen needs to bring Richardson along at the speed he believes is best, because he has enormous potential. -- Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports
Richardson's running ability will give him a leg up on the quarterbacks Dajani mentioned. At 6'4 and 250 pounds with 4.4 speed, Richardson won't just be a mobile quarterback who can run, he will be a part of the Colts rushing attack.
Jalen Hurts, the quarterback Richardson is most often compared to, was just over 60% as a passer in his first-two seasons in Alabama. Richardson's learning curve is unquestionably steep. How quickly he can flatten the curve is probably the real question.
The signs have been good for Richardson and the Colts since he stepped foot in Indianapolis. If Steichen can harness the raw talent of Richardson in his first season, the Colts will be thinking playoffs come Christmas.
