Colts Anthony Richardson receives words of encouragement from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell urged Colts QB Anthony Richardson to keep grinding, assuring him he has a long future in the league.
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Kevin O'Connell and Anthony Richardson (Image via ESPN/X)
Anthony Richardson was on the bench during the Colts’ defeat at the hands of the Vikings in Week 9. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, a former quarterback himself, went over to the Colts bench and showed love for the Florida man.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold connected with tight end Josh Oliver with three minutes left to play. Oliver’s score increased the Vikings’ tally to 14 points. A late Matt Gay field goal conversion mattered little as the NFC North side won in front of the home crowd.
Cameras caught O’Connell navigating his way through the center circle to the Colts’ territory and found Richardson. The microphone picked up their conversation.
Do me a favor and remember something. You’re a bad dude, and you are going to play a long time in this league. Go to work every day. Good things will happen for you. I still believe in you; I know these guys do, Shane [Steichen] does too. This organization [the Colts] loves you [so] got to work.
Kevin O’Connell told Anthony Richardson
Colts head coach Shane Steichen made the tough decision to bench the second-year starter, after he willingly removed himself from the team’s week 8 loss to the Texans. The unprecedented moment created a massive fuss, and when Richardson revealed fatigue caused him to leave, the criticism increased tenfold.
This is pretty awesome: #Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell with a great message to #Colts QB Anthony Richardson after Sunday night’s game….
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 7, 2024
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Will Anthony Richardson start for the Colts in 2024?
Veteran Joe Flacco replaced him for the Vikings game. Flacco completed just 16 passes and threw an interception while Richardson watched from the bench.
After the game, the reporters asked the 22-year-old to describe his experience of sitting behind Flacco.
It’s just another opportunity to grow, look back, and just reflect on things I could have done better for the team… and just focus on that.
Anthony Richardson said
Richardson only played a total of 10 games for the Colts before the demotion. He is among the handful of first-rounders who failed to tie down their starter status. Flacco appears to be Steichen’s favorite choice to lead the Colts for the rest of the year. That doesn’t mean he has lost faith in Richardson.
Not giving up on Anthony by any means. He’s a young player with a ton of talent, and he’ll use this time to continue to develop and grow as a professional.
Shane Steichen said (H/T: ESPN.com)
Richardson in 2024 has completed 59 passes from 133 attempts (44.4% completion rate) for 958 yards, four touchdowns, and 7 interceptions.
Despite losing five games out of nine, the Colts sit second in the AFC South behind the Texans and have a 31% chance of reaching the playoffs. Their next three fixtures include the Bills, the Jets, and the Lions.
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Ishan Misra
(3090 Articles Published)