INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Pittman Jr. had been ready for Anthony Richardson’s weekly media scrum. The Indianapolis Colts extensive receiver was desirous to brag in regards to the rookie QB’s newest big-ticket buy.
“This man is a good man,” Pittman mentioned Wednesday as reporters started gathering round Richardson’s locker. “Bought the entire group headphones. Costly ones, too! Like they weren’t low cost.”
As Pittman smiled extensive, exhibiting off his model new over-the-ear AirPods Max, that are listed at $549 a pair on Apple.com, Richardson shooed him away. If it wasn’t for Pittman, few would have recognized about Richardson’s generosity. And the look on his face as his prime wideout spilled the beans confirmed he in all probability would’ve most well-liked to maintain it that approach.
“I don’t assume it’s something main,” Richardson mentioned. “It’s simply me exhibiting them that I admire them for supporting me and serving to me all through the whole lot that’s been occurring for these previous couple of months.”
Richardson, 21, is the youngest of the Colts’ seven group captains this 12 months and one of many youngest group captains in franchise historical past. It might have been simple for him to win over Pittman after connecting with him for eight catches for 97 yards and a 39-yard landing within the season opener, and following that up with a gift a couple of days later. However for Pittman, Richardson’s management runs deeper than shopping for some headphones. His perspective permeated all through all the group as they put together to play Houston on Sunday in Week 2.
The No. 4 choose has otherworldly bodily presents, the kind of stuff that solely comes alongside as soon as in a technology. Nevertheless, expertise alone is just not sufficient to get his friends to purchase in. Colts heart Ryan Kelly, who has snapped the ball to the likes of Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan and is aware of one thing about dedication, mentioned Richardson “principally lives” on the Colts’ follow facility as he consistently searches for methods to enhance.
It’s that unrelenting mindset that makes somebody like lengthy snapper Luke Rhodes, who, in contrast to Kelly, doesn’t play alongside Richardson each snap, gravitate towards the brand new face of the franchise. Their bond was on show final week after Richardson threw his first profession interception within the fourth quarter in opposition to the Jaguars.
Rhodes was one of many first gamers to satisfy Richardson on the sideline.
“It’s unbelievable among the issues he can do, and his arm energy is approach up there,” Rhodes mentioned. “So, it’s enjoyable to look at him make among the performs that perhaps would’ve gone in another way in years previous. It’s thrilling to all the time have an opportunity with him again there. … But it surely’s nonetheless a group effort and I simply needed to remind him that, ‘Hey, we bought your again.’”
Veteran defensive again Tony Brown additionally greeted Richardson on the sideline and instantly recalled a dialogue they’d months prior. Brown knew it might come in useful.
“Earlier than he was named the starter, I mentioned I might have his again,” Brown mentioned. “After which when he bought named the starter, I had a dialog with him about how there’s gonna be highs and lows throughout the season and I reiterated that, ‘I’m gonna have your again by all of that.’”
When Brown noticed Richardson’s head drop after what wound up being a game-sealing interception, Brown instructed him to raise it again up. That season-opening loss wasn’t all his fault. Brown snagged his first profession interception within the second quarter, however he thinks it ought to’ve been his first pick-six as properly.
“In my thoughts, I really feel like if I rating on the interception that I had, then we win the sport,” Brown mentioned. “That’s an additional six, and we win the sport. I may’ve performed extra. … So me being a frontrunner and him being such a younger chief, I simply needed to point out him we weren’t going anyplace.”
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Brown emphasised that the group isn’t utilizing child gloves on their rookie sign caller. Brown received’t enable it.
The five-year professional defined that quarterbacks will all the time face extra scrutiny due to their place. And whereas the No. 1 rule once they’re on the sector is to guard them, off of it, Brown mentioned a quarterback’s actual character is revealed when that defend falls they usually’re held accountable for his or her errors.
Richardson’s two touchdowns gave the Colts an opportunity to win in opposition to Jacksonville, and his essential interception was a motive — however not the motive — they misplaced. That’s a actuality Richardson can’t run from, and from the whole lot Brown has seen, the rookie hasn’t tried to.
“He’s in a position to take teaching,” Brown mentioned. “He’s by no means listened to nothing that I’ve mentioned and form of given me the chilly shoulder or something like that. And him being the quarterback, too, you need to empower anyone. And one of the best ways to empower them is to allow them to do them, allow them to be them, inform them once they’re fallacious and pat them on their again when (expletive) goes unhealthy, and pat them on the again when stuff goes good.”
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Richardson is grateful for the management classes he’s acquired from his Colts teammates, however he’s additionally grateful for the teachings he realized earlier than they crossed paths. As he eyes a matchup in opposition to his shut good friend and Houston’s rookie QB C.J. Stroud, Richardson acknowledged that it might be simple to get caught up within the potential headlines:
The No. 2 choose versus the No. 4 choose: Who may have the higher recreation? Who might be higher long run?
Richardson fell sufferer to these peripheral subjects a 12 months in the past at Florida when he squared off in opposition to Kentucky and Will Levis, who was later drafted within the second spherical by the Tennessee Titans. He repeatedly instructed himself he needed to “play excellent” for the Gators earlier than ending with two interceptions in a 26-16 loss.
Again then, Richardson thought that was management. Demanding perfection from himself and piling all the weight on his shoulders when he inevitably fell brief. His tone modified following his NFL debut, making extra room for grace to accompany his accountability.
“I knew the whole lot wasn’t going to be excellent,” Richardson mentioned. “I didn’t need the whole lot to be excellent as a result of that’s a part of the sport; that’s a part of life.”
Fellow Colts group captain Zaire Franklin believes Richardson has taken the best strategy as Indianapolis tries to win its first AFC South street recreation since 2021. The Colts linebacker praised his rookie QB for his generosity in gifting the group headphones, which lots of them could use on their flight to Houston. However on a extra critical observe, he hopes Richardson continues to develop as a frontrunner which incorporates trusting these round him.
“I feel he can inform. He can really feel it,” Franklin mentioned. “Not solely simply from different veterans on the group, however simply from everyone, bro. We rock and roll with him. … He’s bought it, man. He’s simply gotta hold being humble, hold being hungry, hold getting higher.”
(Prime picture of Anthony Richardson and Michael Pittman Jr.: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA At present)
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