Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has had an up-and-down season. While he has shown flashes of the explosiveness that got him drafted in the first round, Richardson’s inconsistent play at one point saw him relegated to the bench before resuming the starting role.
Now, details are emerging on what transpired behind the scenes, and some of Richardson’s teammates weren’t too happy with what they saw from the young quarterback, according to a report from the Athletic.
“They were trying to hold (Richardson) accountable, which is understandable, but then the guy they put in wasn’t the guy either,” said one veteran Colts player. “So when they went back to A.R., at that point it’s like, ‘OK, but what are we doing?’ That really affected the team.”
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner even told Richardson: “you’ve got to do your part.”
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Lot of Colts fans spent a lot of time trying to convince you all the locker room was fine with Richardson and fully supported him, you were just imagining they could be bothered,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“This is 100% on Shane Steichen. As a coach you have to know how to motivate your players. How to stress the sense of urgency of them approaching the game with a business approach. You especially have to teach your QB that playing QB is more than a full time job. This is his 2nd year with Richardson, for them to have to lose games benching him because Steichen couldn’t make it sink in, is 100% on him. A lot of folks don’t know what championship level coaching is, including a lot of coaches,” another fan added.
“When AR went on franklins podcast and said NfL is easier than college there red flags for me. He’s relying on his talent more than work ethic and fundamentals,” one fan added.
“I said before the draft that if anyone drafted him top 10, the coach and/or GM would be fired within a couple years. He’s not good. He wasn’t good in college,” wrote someone else.
It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for Richardson.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.