Friday was the deadline for NFL groups to train the fifth-year choice for gamers taken within the first spherical of the 2023 NFL Draft class. Whereas a lot of the gamers from that class had their fifth-year choices picked up, a couple of groups made the choice to say no that chance. The Indianapolis Colts had been one of the outstanding, declining to exercise the fifth-year option on quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Meaning he’s now scheduled to develop into an unrestricted free agent following the 2026 season.
Had the Colts exercised the choice, it could have assured him a $22 million wage for the 2027 season.
Colts decline fifth-year choice on quarterback Anthony Richardson
Richardson, the No. 4 total decide within the 2023 class, is the very best decide from that yr to not have their fifth-year choice picked up, and it’s one other signal that his time with the franchise is probably going coming to an finish.
The Colts had been hoping that he could possibly be their subsequent franchise quarterback, nevertheless it by no means labored out for quite a lot of causes.
One of many greatest was the straightforward incontrovertible fact that he has had a horrible time staying on the sphere, coping with important accidents all through the primary three years of his profession. He performs with a fearless mindset in the case of operating the ball, and has not at all times performed an excellent job defending himself. The Colts additionally did a depressing job defending him by not placing a ok offensive line in entrance of him.
These two issues have resulted in him taking an absolute beating on the sphere.
When he has been wholesome, he has struggled with consistency and accuracy within the passing recreation. There is no such thing as a denying his arm expertise and operating means, and he has flashed some indicators of big-play means. He has delivered a number of the most eye-popping throws within the NFL over the previous couple of years and has hit a number of huge performs that solely a small variety of quarterbacks could make. However he has but to develop the consistency with hitting the mid-level and shorter throws that quarterbacks have to persistently make.
The query now turns into what the Colts will do with him for this season. Richardson requested a commerce in February and acquired permission to talk with different groups to attempt to facilitate a commerce, however nothing has come collectively.
He’s nonetheless younger sufficient that anyone may be prepared to gamble on the expertise and see if they will unlock one thing the Colts couldn’t. There are many examples of younger quarterbacks who failed in dangerous conditions and excelled with a recent begin elsewhere. It solely takes one crew to be prepared to take that probability.
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