Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson finally broke his silence on the team’s quarterback competition.
“Everybody can look at the situation differently,” Richardson said. “I would just like to say I’m blessed. Honestly, I still have [the] opportunity to be in the NFL. I still have [the] opportunity to go out there and compete and win the job for this team. ... It kind of [feels] like I just got drafted again.”
Richardson recounted how he had to compete with Emory Jones for the starting QB job in his sophomore season at the University of Florida. Richardson played spot duty in eight games with one start in 2021, before earning the starting job in 2022.
“Competition brings the best out of you,” Richardson said. “That’s just how life works, you just gotta compete and get better because somebody to the right, left, or in front of you is trying to outwork you and be better than you. Competition, I love it.”
Richardson also said that this is the first offseason in which he has had a proper opportunity to work on his fundamentals as a quarterback. He spent his rookie offseason getting acclimated to the NFL; he spent the 2024 offseason recovering from shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint sprain he suffered during the season.
Richardson said he spent this offseason running, throwing and studying the playbook. Mechanically, he is working on his footwork and remaining calm in the pocket. He noted that most quarterbacks already have the arm strength and upper body technique to make most of the throws, so he is trying to build his footwork and base so he can let his arm do the rest.
“That was one of the main things I wanted to focus on, because everybody knows I can throw the ball whenever I’m smooth, but I want to find opportunities for myself to be consistent when I am off-balance and make decent throws,” Richardson said. “And even when everything is perfect, making sure my feet are intact and my width and my base are solid and I’m just completing a pass.”
“Just trying to stay on my maintenance plan,” Richardson said Tuesday. “Before, I didn’t really have a plan to take care of my back, ‘cause I didn’t really even know about it. But now I have things to stay on top of that, and just prevent simple and minor injuries like that. ... Just preventative stuff. It’s not like it’s still lingering or anything. Of course, time to time, [when I’m] lifting and stuff, [I] feel a little tightness, but it’s just life. It comes with it.”
Richardson was also asked if he had had any interactions with Jones. “We have [had] a couple conversations so far, but I’m looking forward to learning a lot from him. He’s been in the league for a good little minute. [He’s] had ups and downs throughout his career. So I’m looking to learn as much as I can from him while we push this competition and just get better.”
Richardson said that he is looking to learn about staying focused through adversity and navigating the pressure that comes with it.
Above all else, Richardson said he wants to take every opportunity to improve himself and help the team.
Richardson was asked if this year is the most important of his career. “Every year has been a big year for me,” he said.
