Editor’s note 10/9: Anthony Richardson could miss 4-6 weeks with a sprained AC joint

Six months ago, Anthony Richardson wasn’t the face of the Indianapolis Colts. He wasn’t the No. 4 pick. He wasn’t the golden ticket, with the golden arm, tasked with leading Indy back to the promised land.

He was simply another option during the Colts’ search for their next franchise QB, which, at the time, was being overshadowed by another option: One of the brightest stars in the NFL, Lamar Jackson, was in the middle of a standoff with the Baltimore Ravens. They eventually placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 2019 NFL MVP that would allow other teams to make him an offer.

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While Colts GM Chris Ballard never slammed the door on the idea of trying to swoop in and sign Jackson away from Baltimore, ultimately, it was always a long shot.

Now, two games into the 2023 season, the possibility of the Colts signing Jackson feels like a distant memory. The Ravens agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension with Jackson on April 27, the same day the Colts drafted Richardson.

Sunday’s matchup between Indianapolis and Baltimore was supposed to be a showdown of the present and future, with Richardson squaring off against a fellow Florida native who doubles as one of his idols. That opportunity looks bleak with Richardson missing two straight practices while in the NFL’s concussion protocol, but I still caught up with The Athletic’s Ravens reporter Jeff Zrebiec. He’s watched Jackson’s rise firsthand, and it may provide a blueprint of what the Colts should and shouldn’t do as Richardson begins his NFL journey.

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After all of the craziness over the summer, Jackson is still Baltimore’s starting QB. How much does he mean to the franchise and the city?

JZ: It’s huge. He’s the face of the franchise, and he’s the face of the franchise in the city. You come out to a Ravens training camp practice when fans are allowed and all you see is No. 8 jerseys. He’s the guy. He’s been for a long time. He kind of gives them their identity. … You can’t underestimate any of that. It was more than a football thing with him, and if they had to move on from him, that would’ve been tough for some of the decision-makers to recover from.

Context: Indianapolis knows all too well about prematurely moving on from a superstar (Peyton Manning) and the unforeseen stumbling blocks that can arise in the aftermath. Andrew Luck walked away from football at 29 years old, and the effects of his surprising departure are still being felt. After four years of retread QBs, Richardson represents a long-term solution and a new era. His No. 5 jersey littered the stands during Colts training camp, months before he made his NFL debut. Colts fans and the organization are desperate for Richardson not only to fill the void that Luck left and become an MVP-caliber player like Jackson, but they want him to win it all like Manning once did.

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“I am going to bring energy. I am going to bring hard work,” Richardson said the night he was drafted. “God willing — I’m going to bring a Super Bowl.”

Fittingly, the Vince Lombardi Trophy was also at the forefront of Jackson’s mind when he was drafted in 2018.

“They’re gonna get a Super Bowl outta me,” Jackson said. “Believe that.”

In what ways do you think the Ravens have helped or hurt Jackson’s development from a coaching standpoint and with the pieces they’ve put around him?

JZ: In the beginning, the Ravens and their offensive coordinator at the time, Greg Roman, did a great job in setting up the offense around where Jackson was at, at that stage of his career and just the inexperience as a quarterback. (They) set up a run-heavy offense that accentuated his strengths and tried to hide the areas of his game that still needed to develop a little more. They did a great job, but I also think that kind of offense ran its course over the last couple of years, and they were maybe a year or two late on adjusting to a more pass-friendly offense and getting him more weapons on the perimeter for him to take the next step as a passer.

Context: The expectation was for the Colts to feature a run-heavy offense as Richardson adjusted to the NFL, but that hasn’t been the case — partly because of Jonathan Taylor’s extended absence, partly because Richardson’s baseline as a passer has been higher than some may have expected and partly because of head coach Shane Steichen’s play calling. So far, Richardson has looked extremely comfortable operating an NFL offense. Through two games, the rookie scored four touchdowns in his first five quarters before leaving last week’s game with a concussion.

From Jackson’s perspective, the Ravens have upgraded their offense quite a bit since his early days in Baltimore, when the pass-catching talent around him was often subpar. The shift to the more pass-friendly offense started this offseason by replacing Roman with Todd Monken following Georgia’s back-to-back national titles with Monken serving in the same role. They also drafted Zay Flowers in the first round and signed Odell Beckham Jr. to accompany All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews.

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When comparing rookie campaigns, Richardson appears to have the better starting point with the forward-thinking Steichen, a 1,000-yard receiver in Michael Pittman Jr. and third-round pick Josh Downs making his presence felt in the slot. If Steichen’s success as a play caller holds up, the Colts shouldn’t drag their feet like the Ravens and should make it a priority to surround Richardson with more talented skill position players to utilize in Steichen’s system.

The biggest topic in Indy this week is Richardson’s health. How have you seen Jackson grow from a risk-taking perspective as a dual-threat QB?

JZ: I can count on one hand how many times Jackson has been hit flush in the open field, where he’s just gotten lined up and absolutely drilled. It’s happened, but it hasn’t happened a whole lot. He’s so elusive, and he’s really smart, so he seems to avoid getting drilled. … He went through a stage where he started to lower his shoulder into tacklers, and they tried to nip that in the bud. They’d tell him, ‘We don’t need that. Go down. Go out of bounds.’ It’s still something he works at on whether to slide or get out of bounds, because he’s an aggressive runner, obviously, but I think overall he’s done a really nice job of it.

Context: Two games into his NFL career, Richardson has yet to end either on his own terms. A hit to the left knee knocked him out on the Colts’ final drive in their season opener, and a big collision while crossing into the end zone concussed him last week and could sideline him this week and maybe beyond. The key for Richardson isn’t the danger he faces in the pocket, but the pounding he’s taken out of it. The rookie has an admirable mindset and wants to be viewed as just another player on the roster. However, as Pittman pointed out, “the whole franchise is depending on” him.

Steichen didn’t suggest he would change anything about the way Richardson is being utilized, and unless the injuries pile up, he shouldn’t. What makes Richardson great is also what makes him vulnerable, so it’s on the rookie more than anyone else to try to protect himself as much as possible. As Zrebiec pointed out, Jackson’s season-ending injuries in 2021 and 2022 were just unlucky injuries from when he was unexpectedly hit in the pocket — not while on the move. Running outside of the pocket actually gives a QB more control over when and how he gets hit, which is a skill Richardson must quickly master.

Michael Pittman Jr. gives his @Colts QB Anthony Richardson a Madden Rating in these three categories:
Leadership 🎖️
Comedy 😂
Fashion 👔

— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 22, 2023

How have you seen Jackson handle the pressure, scrutiny and criticism that comes with not only being a franchise quarterback, but one that is so unique and to some people “nontraditional?”

JZ: One of the best qualities about Jackson is he’s so authentic. He’s gonna be himself. He doesn’t care what other people think, and that’s just not in his style of play. It’s in his leadership style and how he acts and the stuff he says. He’s just so authentic, and I think that’s why he’s so well-liked by his teammates. … So, I think he’s handled it absolutely great. He’s won over 75 percent of his games, and I know they haven’t had the playoff success and the one next step for him is leading them on an extended run, but there are still people who won’t accept that. They don’t like his playing style. Obviously, I always think race comes into play, and I think we’d all be naïve not to think so when it comes to some people’s opinions of him, but there’s a faction of Ravens fans who still aren’t huge fans and will probably never embrace him unless he wins the Super Bowl. But by and large, he’s the face of the franchise and the sporting face of the city. He understands that responsibility, but the most impressive and endearing thing about him is he’s going to be himself.

Context: The Colts have been defined by Luck and Manning since the franchise moved to Indianapolis in 1984. Outside of their 21 seasons with the team, the Colts have only made the playoffs in four of the other 19 campaigns. Richardson faces the challenge of turning this franchise back into a perennial playoff and Super Bowl contender, and he seems to have the right mindset for those kinds of expectations. The 21-year-old has gained the trust of his veteran teammates by being an egoless peer and diligent worker.

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Richardson has also shown a level of self-assuredness that’s rare for anyone his age, particularly someone who looks different than his predecessors. He’s a young, Black quarterback with dreads, tattoos and a nose piercing, which is a far cry from the Boy Scout looks of Manning and Luck, but none of it seems forced. Richardson is like former Colts star and Hall of Famer Edgerrin James in that sense, always authentic and never pretending. Some may embrace all of who Richardson is and others may shun it, especially during those times when he will inevitably fall short on the field.

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“I know it’s part of the game,” Richardson said of the scrutiny. “Everybody’s gonna have ups and downs. I know Tom Brady has ups and downs, and they say he’s the greatest quarterback to ever play. So, it’s just a matter of not trying to be perfect anymore, just enjoying it and living in the moment.”

Richardson said he looks up to Jackson. Is Jackson aware of the influence he’s having on the next wave of quarterbacks?

JZ: I think he’s starting to become aware of it. And that was pretty funny how he reacted to what Anthony Richardson was saying before the draft. He was very much aware of it, so I think he understands. But the one interesting thing about Jackson is that every time they’ve played a star quarterback … everyone always wants to draw the connection, “Hey, Lamar, is this a guy you looked at?” Jackson always shuts down that line of questioning. He makes it clear that, “I’m my own person. I don’t really look at anybody else.”

Context: Richardson said during the NFL Scouting Combine that he nicknamed himself “Cam Jackson” in high school as a nod to two of the best dual-threat QBs the NFL has ever seen: Cam Newton and Jackson. When Jackson was reminded of that fun fact this week, it made him a bit uncomfortable.

“You want me to be honest, right? That made me feel old, and I’m only 26,” Jackson said, laughing. “He was comparing me, himself and Cam? I’m like, ‘Dang, comparing yourself to me, and I’m still young?’ But I appreciate stuff like that. I did see him a couple of times in college, and he played phenomenal and (in) his first two (NFL) games he has, too.”

Obviously, receiving praise from Jackson is something that will surely make Richardson smile ear to ear, but make no mistake, he doesn’t seem like the type who will be star-struck to the point that it affects how he approaches future matchups with marquee QBs. Perhaps that’s because the rookie believes he’ll eventually be one, too.

“The way he was raised, what he went through with his family, along with this freak athletic talent and a guy with a pretty high drive to want to win and to be great — all of that kind of balled up together is what makes Anthony Richardson,” said Denny Thompson, Richardson’s private QB coach. “And Anthony Richardson’s pretty dope.”

(Photos: Michael Owens, Dylan Buell / Getty Images)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Preorder it here.