In line with NFL.com’s Adam Rank in his ‘state of the 2023 Indianapolis Colts’, amongst different highlights, he believes that the franchise should develop rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson for the upcoming season to be thought of profitable:

For 2023 to be a hit, the Colts MUST:

Develop Anthony Richardson. Don’t get me improper: If you happen to’re a fan of the Colts, you need to make the playoffs. Go loopy! You need to make just a little run just like the 2022 Jaguars did. That’s the objective for this season, positive. As I’ve alluded to, the AFC South isn’t precisely loaded as of late, so nothing’s out of the query. However within the larger image — and in a QUARTERBACK LEAGUE — Richardson’s long-term growth is all the things. Colts followers take a look at how Shane Steichen developed Jalen Hurts — who simply completed second within the MVP race and almost outdueled Patrick Mahomes within the Tremendous Bowl — and assume huge. Which is okay. However that didn’t occur in a single day. That is Yr 1 of the Steichen-Richardson period in Indy. Rising pains will come, however establishing a gentle upward development could be a significant achievement after the 2022 debacle.

He’s not precisely improper both.

The long-term success of the Colts franchise is determined by the continued progress and growth of prime rookie quarterback prospect, Anthony Richardson, who was chosen with the fourth general decide on this 12 months’s latest NFL Draft. Richardson has the high-end bodily instruments, athleticism, and make-up to ultimately be an elite beginning quarterback within the NFL, if all of it actually clicks.

New Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s main activity will probably be guaranteeing that Richardson is positioned ready to succeed, correctly coached, and allowed to mature at his personal tempo—with constant enchancment however having preliminary persistence for errors and rising pains.

He’s had previous expertise teaching each the Los Angeles Chargers Justin Herbert and the Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts—which is a few worthwhile expertise to attract upon, now mentoring Richardson with the Colts offensively.

Make no mistake about it although.

The success of Richardson is of the utmost significance, not only for the outcomes on the soccer subject, as a result of the Colts will probably be drafting early once more within the draft a handful of years from now, in search of a quarterback if this decide doesn’t truly hit, however as a result of jobs will finally be on the road from normal supervisor Chris Ballard and his entrance workplace workers to perhaps even Shane Steichen and his new teaching workers—if Richardson proves to be a flop.

Rank does deliver up a stable level in regards to the Colts although, making an attempt to be this 12 months’s plucky Jacksonville Jaguars with a younger quarterback and new head teaching workers—and making a shock AFC playoff push. The AFC South isn’t precisely a powerful division collectively, and the Colts narrowly misplaced six video games final season by one rating or much less (*and even tied one other).

With improved head teaching (i.e., Colts followers gained’t overlook the Jeff Saturday period anytime quickly), in addition to beginning quarterback and offensive line play, to not point out, getting a few of their stars again to formidable kind resembling: Jonathan Taylor, Shaquille Leonard, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Kenny Moore II, and so forth., and it’s not inconceivable that the Colts may very well be one thing of an AFC darkhorse this upcoming season.

On the very least, this horse shouldn’t be fairly written off for useless—and guaranteeing Richardson’s progress and growth goes hand-in-hand with a profitable season.