Two days ago, Richardson was announced to be holding a clipboard when the Colts will open the regular season against Miami on September 4.
Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen named former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones as the opening day starter this week, with still one preseason game left to go. Richardson was deemed by Steichen to be the primary backup, and will sit for the first time in his young career for something other than injury or a disciplinary decision.
The 23-year-old Richardson was 6-7 as a starter for the Gators in college, throwing 24 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. His 54.7 collegiate completion percentage certainly was not worthy of his draft status, but 1,1116 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns showed scouts his explosiveness. His lone season as a starter was 2022, where the Gators finished 6-6, and were humiliated 30-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl to #14 Oregon State.
Steichen announced on Thursday that Richardson will not play in the Colts’ preseason finale against Cincinnati on Saturday. The Colts, like many other teams around the league, are not planning to play many key components with the “dress rehearsal.”
Steichen announced on Thursday that Richardson will not play in the Colts’ preseason finale against Cincinnati on Saturday. The Colts, like many other teams around the league, are not planning to play many key components with the “dress rehearsal.”
On Friday, ESPN personality Stephan A. Smith mentioned that the most discussed part of Richardson coming into training camp was Richardson changing his diet, and reading the playbook more thoroughly. Smith then mentioned that Richardson is younger than Caleb Williams, and only three days older than Cam Ward, the quarterback that the Tennessee Titans selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Richardson took himself out of a Week 8 game last season for one play, citing he needed “a breather.” The Colts would lose the game anyway, and Richardson was disciplined by Steichen the following week by being benched in favor of 39-year-old Joe Flacco. Ironically enough, Flacco just was named the Week 1 starter for the Cleveland Browns, after leading Cleveland to the playoffs in 2023. Richardson also missed the final two games in 2024 with a back injury, and Indianapolis finished 8-9, two games out of the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. In his rookie season, Richardson played four games before suffering an AC joint sprain. Richardson had subsequent surgery on the shoulder, ending his season far earlier than anyone expected.
Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold resurrected their careers after a change of scenery. Darnold spent his first three seasons in New York, two years in Carolina, a year in San Francisco, before having an MVP-caliber season with Minnesota in 2024. Mayfield spent his first four season in Cleveland, guiding the Browns to the 2020 playoffs, and their lone playoff win since returning to the NFL in 1999. Mayfield split the 2022 season between Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams, before being brought into Tampa Bay as the replacement for Tom Brady. All Mayfield has done in Tampa is back-to-back NFC South championships, and a 69-26 touchdown-to-interception ratio, which does not include an 8-2 mark in the postseason.
The thought of comparing Richardson to Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell after one full season is premature, even for me. However, being beaten out by Jones, who had one solid year with the Giants, then failed to live up anywhere close to the massive contract he was offered, certainly detracts from Richardson’s resume. No one is really expecting Jones to have the kind of bounceback in 2025 that Darnold had in 2024, but the AFC South has potential to be the worst division in the NFL this year. Despite Houston winning the last two division championships, there is certainly the potential for Indianapolis or Jacksonville to improve, while Tennessee is in full rebuild mode. Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville has just one or two more years before the writing is on the wall, and he has a playoff appearance despite a 22-38 career record as a starter.
Richardson has not developed thus far from the project Indianapolis projected him to be. Quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 are expected to be starters from day one, not projects. Falling from project to retread is a chasm that few quarterbacks ever crawl out of, but Richardson may have worn out his welcome with Indianapolis, and an address change may not be able to restore the luster associated with his ability.
-JC24