On Wednesday, Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard laid out what the tentative plan is for quarterback Anthony Richardson when it comes to the final two preseason games.
On an appearance on 107.5 The Fan, Ballard mentioned that in Saturday’s game against Arizona, an appearance from Richardson sounds “iffy,” as The Fan’s Kevin Bowen put it.
However, in the third preseason game against Cincinnati, the expectation is that Richardson will play a full half of football.
Bowen adds that this approach is the same one the Colts took last summer with Richardson, with him sitting out in Week 2 and playing the first half in Week 3.
My guess is that Richardson’s status for Saturday likely hinges on how the two joint practices with Arizona go. These practices, which include starters from both teams playing and not-so-vanilla looks from defenses, can be extremely beneficial in providing game-like reps.
For what it’s worth, Richardson would have an impressive first day of practice, going 6-for-8 in the 11-on-11 period, which included leading a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
In the Colts’ preseason opener against Denver, Richardson would play for two series, completing 2-of-4 passes for 25 yards and picking up one first down.
With only 98 career dropbacks, Richardson is still an inexperienced player overall and these reps are quite valuable.
However, we’ve already seen the growth he’s experiencing from being in Shane Steichen’s system for a second season, and with the offensive line in front of him and the skill position players around him, it’s not like he will have to do all the heavy lifting either.
“We liked all the stuff we saw, but he’s still got to go prove it over the course of time, like any player does,” said Ballard before training camp. “You can be a flash, but he’s still got to prove it over the course of time. But we think we got a good football team around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to carry us.”