Anthony Richardson must have a successful preseason if he wants to save his NFL career

Anthony Richardson is just 24 years old, but the former Florida Gators quarterback is finding himself in a  strange position. 

Richardson is very young by most metrics, but he feels old in the NFL and is at risk of watching the league pass him by before he really gets started. A first-round pick (4th overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson is likely in his final year with the Indianapolis Colts after the team declined his fifth-year option. 

So when he starts the Colts' preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Thursday, Richardson has to look at it like a job audition.

READ MORE: The Colts just arrived at Anthony Richardson’s unavoidable ending

Anthony Richardson has one chance to make a big impression

Richardson is no longer in the Colts' plans. It feels like coach Shane Steichen is waiting for the day that he can cut him loose. I don't think Richardson can do anything to change the minds of that organization. He'll always be painted as a bust there. But that doesn't mean his career is over.

READ MORE: Anthony Richardson may be leaving the team that once viewed him as its future

A player like Richardson is going to get another chance and another look. He's 6-foot-4, 244 pounds and  ran a 4.43 at the NFL Combine. He was a raw talent in college, he was a raw talent when he was drafted so high, and he's still a raw talent. But the key word here is 'talent'. 

There are coaches that can't wait to get a hold of Richardson and correct whatever has been failing him. They see the success that players with similar traits like Josh Allen and Cam Newton have in the NFL and are willing to take a flyer on Richardson being the next one.

Much like Allen and Newton, Richardson entered the NFL with a lot of fanfare, but not a lot of coaching. He had two years under Dan Mullen, but he was a backup, so he didn't get the amount of work and development that the starter, Emory Jones, received. 

Then he had one full year as a starter under Billy Napier and, I guess it was fine. Richardson had over 3,200 total yards and 26 touchdowns, but he completed less than 54% of his passes. He definitely needed another year in college, but he also needed a much better coach. With the options as they were, Richardson was right to leave and take his chances in the NFL.

Richardson feels like one of the great missed opportunities in football. With the right coaching and development, he could have been a transcendent player — there aren't a lot of quarterbacks that have his physical tools. He's had some bad luck with injuries and, truthfully, he didn't show enough when he was healthy to convince the Colts he was going to be their long-term answer at quarterback.

There's still time for Richardson, but it's running out and, as we've seen many times, when you're gone from the NFL, it's hard to get back in. That's why Thursday might be just another preseason game for fans, but for Richardson it's different. His career is on the line. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow