Chris Ballard admits that the Colts made a mistake that hurt Anthony Richardson and he regrets it
The Indianapolis Colts' decision to bench Anthony Richardon dominated headlines for the two weeks that it transpired. Since being reinserted back into the starting lineup, we've heard from his teammates, his coaches, and even Richardson himself about what they've learned throughout this saga. One man whom we hadn't heard his thoughts on was general manager Chris […]
The Indianapolis Colts' decision to bench Anthony Richardon dominated headlines for the two weeks that it transpired.
Since being reinserted back into the starting lineup, we've heard from his teammates, his coaches, and even Richardson himself about what they've learned throughout this saga.
One man whom we hadn't heard his thoughts on was general manager Chris Ballard. But thanks to a recent article from Jim Trotter of The Atheltic, he finally broke his silence.
Chris Ballard breaks his silence on Anthony Richardson's benching and shares why he's so proud of how he's handled it
The Colts know a mistake they made played a part in this
"Looking back on it, I wish we hadn’t played him as a rookie. John Dorsey (a longtime personnel man) called me and said, ‘Don’t play him.’ John had had the great wisdom from Green Bay, where they sat all those quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers backed up Brett Favre for three seasons, and Jordan Lovesat behind Rodgers for two years). And as they mature and get older, they pick up habits that we were expecting Anthony to have from the get-go."
– Chris Ballard via The Athletic
Ballard is proud of the player Richardson has been since rejoining the starters
"Two of the last three weeks he’s had winning drives in clutch moments — I mean clutch,” Ballard said. “Against New England, we eat the clock up and leave 12 seconds on it. It was a thing of beauty. The drive was 19 plays. Nineteen. I got teary-eyed watching it. I really did."
– Chris Ballard via The Athletic
As you read from Ballard above, Richardson has led a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter in two of the team's last three games. If either of those games is flipped to a loss, the Colts' hope for a postseason birth would be all but dead. Instead, they watched their young quarterback put the team on his back and deliver a victory.
Improvements still have to be made before they can be certain they have found their franchise QB. But seeing him respond so well to this level of adversity has appeared to wow the front office, the coaching staff, and even his own teammates. He now has four more games ahead of him after the team's bye week. And if he can continue playing at the level we've seen as of late, the Colts will feel significantly more confident about their QB and their team's trajectory than many would have thought when the news broke of the team benching the 22-year-old QB earlier this season.
Indianapolis Colts Injury Tracker: When players can come back and who’s not coming back, updates and more
The Indianapolis Colts have battled multiple injuries throughout the season, and the timeline for their returns to action still seems very much up in the air. So, let's examine every notable injury the Colts are dealing with and consider whether we may see them return to the field any time after the team's bye this […]
Important games to watch and who to root for during Week 14 with the Indianapolis Colts on bye
The Indianapolis Colts are entering their bye on a high note, having won in Week 13 over the New England Patriots.They now sit at 6-7 and are the eighth seed in the AFC, one spot out of the playoff picture. They are also second in the AFC South, only trailing the Houston Texans. With no game […]
