Following the Colts’ first training camp practice of the 2024 season on Thursday, head coach Shane Steichen met with the media.
Here are the highlights from that conversation. For the full interview, click here.
– Steichen says that defensive tackle Raekwon Davis is on the non-football illness list with high blood pressure. Once that goes down he will be back on the practice field.
– Steichen on Anthony Richardson’s day: “Yeah, I think decision-making, quick processing. Being in this system for two years now, he looks sharp. We’ll go back and look at the tape, but he looked really good today.”
– On the first day, the focus during the team period was in the red zone. Steichen said this is part of the ramp up period.
– Steichen’s message to the team before the first practice: “How we practice is how we make us. That was it. How we practice is how we make us.” Steichen added that while it’s a long season, it all starts in practice.
– Steichen on the team’s performance on Day 1: “I thought we came out good. We looked sharp, crisp, and not a lot of mental errors.”
– Steichen on Richardson’s offseason: “The work ethic he put into it the whole offseason, going through his rehab, his treatment, being around his teammates, putting in the work this summer…Obviously those guys got together and threw. So they were very intentional about that, and shoot, he looks really good right now.”
– “It’s been good,” said Steichen about his relationship with Richardson. He notes that like with any relationship it builds over time and the communication has been really good, along with learning how Richardson learns and processes things. “Just extremely grateful he’s on our team.”
– With a player of Richardson’s caliber along with having Jonathan Taylor the “playbook is open to everything.”
– Steichen on if they’ll reduce Richardson’s workload as a runner: “People ask this, too, ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’ And I kind of think like, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers?’ Well, that’s one of Anthony’s strengths. We’re not gonna get away from that–that’s what he does well.” Steichen added that how much they rely on the run game with Richardson will be dependent upon the opponent.