Richardson is throwing again…
The big news out of Colts world is that Anthony Richardson has resumed throwing. That report comes from Stephen Holder of ESPN in which he states that, although Richardson could be on a pitch count to start training camp, everything appears to look good. On one hand, that is good news. The alternative is that Richardson faced another setback and won’t be ready for the start of camp. That would have been a disastrous update and would have felt like we would never get off this roller coaster. So, sure, it could be much worse, but is this the bar now? Is this the level at which we shout for joy? This seems to be setting an extremely low standard.
Peyton Manning chased records during his time with the Colts. I understand Manning is in his own league and not an overly fair comparison, but it was the standard that was set. It was the only standard I knew growing up watching Colts football. Andrew Luck was one of the greatest college prospects. We saw him come into the league and drag that roster to the playoffs his first year. Colts fans have been spoiled, especially at the quarterback position. The last decade or so has been rough, so this must be the law of averages catching up. Perhaps we have to continue to pay the piper to balance the scales.
Look, I am a Richardson guy. I like him, want him to be the starting quarterback this year, and want him to succeed. This is not a dig at Richardson the person or really even the player. This is commentary on whether this is the new standard that should get Colts fans jazzed. He has been shut down for a month and a half after the lightest of duties. He has missed more time than he has played. Him being ready to throw and heading into training camp is a big deal, but it shouldn’t be. This shouldn’t be the story heading into year three after what we have witnessed over the first two years. The story lines have changed from “can the Colts win the Super Bowl” to “Richardson resumes throwing”… This seems like falling off a cliff.
Hit me with your best shot in the comments, but doesn’t it feel like we are in a totally new era of Colts football? Once again, we were spoiled. Having Luck right after Manning is the thing of dreams. That level of competency at the quarterback position is rarefied air. Anthony Richardson resuming throwing after a fifty day absence just doesn’t do enough for me. Richardson and the Colts need to elevate the headlines this season by giving us positives on the field to talk about. They will have plenty of opportunities. Let’s see if they can get this franchise back on track.
