The Indianapolis Colts have announced the rise and fall of the team this year better than ever, and…
The Indianapolis Colts have done a better job than ever of announcing the team’s rise and fall this season.
After Andrew Luck retired, the Colts had not really faced reality. When they pieced together the quarterback position with veterans seeking their final opportunities, they were usually good enough. Though they weren’t nearly a championship contender, the Colts were too good to destroy it.
They were the favorites to win the AFC South going into the previous season. If they had a typical post-Luck Colts season, with a record that was close to.500 and playoff contention despite having little chance of making a deep run in the playoffs, perhaps they would have moved on to a veteran QB in his late 30s as a stopgap, and they would once again be good enough to postpone a rebuild.
After a hard hit to the wall, Matt Ryan was benched. Two times. After firing Frank Reich, the Colts made the surprising decision to name Jeff Saturday as their interim coach, despite his lack of coaching experience beyond high school.
“Want to wager against this individual?” Jim Irsay, the owner of the Colts, stated this during an iconic and defiant press conference. “People, put your money down. I would love to witness it.
Well, it did result in significant changes. Fortunately for Colts supporters, Saturday did not turn out to be the full-time position that Irsay had hoped it would be. Shane Steichen, the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, was hired. The Colts’ disappointing campaign the previous year gave them the fourth pick in the NFL Draft, and then they were fortunate. A month prior to the draft, the Colts claimed to have decided on Anthony Richardson as their target; with the No. 4 pick, they were able to select the Florida quarterback.
During rookie camp, quarterback Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass in front of head coach Shane Steichen. (Photo by Michael Conroy/AP)
With Richardson, there’s a risk. He only made 13 career starts in college. He will have to grow. However, no quarterback has ever entered the NFL with Richardson’s physical makeup. He broke numerous QB testing records as he completely destroyed the scouting combine. For the first time since Luck left the Colts, they weren’t content to swing for a single. The Colts have been settling at quarterback.
In a team documentary following the draft, general manager Chris Ballard stated, “I didn’t want to look up and watch him be a superstar somewhere else.” “If he’s going to be a superstar, he’s going to be a superstar for the Colts.”
The roster isn’t all that bad if Richardson gets on base. A terrible 2022 season revealed many holes, but a respectable defense led by lineman DeForest Buckner and a strong offensive line led by receiver Michael Pittman Jr. provide a solid foundation.
It was time for the Colts to go, for better or worse. Richardson has the potential to be an MVP-caliber player, so the ridiculous Saturday experiment and the entire embarrassing 2022 season will have been well worth the humiliation.
