Colts captain Michael Pittman Jr. opens up about Anthony Richardson's sophomore season and how he responded to adversity
This past year was tough for multiple Indianapolis Colts players. No one went through more adversity, though than quarterback Anthony Richardson. He lived in the headlines, from the backlash to his decision to tap out for a play to his public benching and reinsertion into the starting lineup. His up-and-down play, combined with his overall tough […]
This past year was tough for multiple Indianapolis Colts players. No one went through more adversity, though than quarterback Anthony Richardson.
He lived in the headlines, from the backlash to his decision to tap out for a play to his public benching and reinsertion into the starting lineup. His up-and-down play, combined with his overall tough year, made for a tough year for the second-year quarterback.
Now, Colts wide receiver and team captain Michael Pittman Jr. has spoken on his QB and how he saw him respond to the adversity he faced.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. speaks on Anthony Richardson's second season and how he responded to his benching and public backlash
"At one point, I felt like everybody was kinda crashing on him. But I felt like he responded well. I felt like he started showing up earlier, he started working harder, he's putting in more hours to what he was already doing. And that's what you would want to see. We didn't see him fold, we didn't see him break down. And I really do think he wants to be the best version of himself, and he's doing everything the right way to get the right result. Hes working with a different coach this year to try to up his game. We gotta do whatever we gotta do to help him out when he needs the help. There's things I got to do better to help him out."
– Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. to Chris Simms
Michael Pittman Jr. is one of the most respected leaders in the Colts locker room. This past year, he showed exactly why people feel that way by putting his body on the line for the team. He played through some significant back issues throughout this season, even when being placed on IR to heal was probably the best thing for him individually.
So, Pittman Jr.'s opinion of Richardson should be of high importance to fans as well as Richardson himself. A popular opinion owned by Colts players who have spoken about Richardson's process is that it has drastically improved since his benching. Obviously, you would prefer your QB's process not to be flawed to begin with, but knowing the needed corrections have been made is a big deal. He now enters his first healthy off-season as a pro, and as Pittman shared, he is working with a new coach. Richardson knows how crucial this offseason is, so now we will have to wait and see how much improvement comes with his improved process.