The Indianapolis Colts made the choice on Tuesday to bench second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and roll with veteran Joe Flacco as their beginning quarterback.
It’s an eye-opening transfer as a result of the Colts invested a top-five choose in Richardson only one yr in the past and have been relying on him to cease their revolving quarterback door.
The choice, nonetheless, is totally justified if the Colts are attempting their finest to win soccer video games and make the playoffs this season. Flacco is the higher quarterback proper how, whereas Richardson has confronted intense criticism after briefly tapping out of Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans as a result of he was, in his personal phrases, “drained.”
There are two key takeaways with this.
The primary is that scouting quarterbacks and creating them is an inexact science that may at all times have a excessive bust charge within the draft.
The second is that possibly NFL groups are too fast to pressure younger quarterbacks into motion.
It was once that until you have been a No. 1 total choose or a uncommon, cannot miss prospect, younger quarterbacks would sit on the bench for at the very least one yr, and possibly even a number of years, earlier than they got an opportunity to start out. It was not unusual for a crew to make use of a prime choose on the place and willingly sit them on the bench for a number of years to be taught the offense and perceive life within the NFL.
However as head coaches and common managers get shorter leashes with groups and face extra intense stress to win, they’ve accelerated the timeline for quarterbacks to play. There may be extra urgency, extra stress and better expectations. This forces groups to anticipate fast outcomes, and when they don’t get them, they rapidly transfer on.
It isn’t doing anyone any favors, together with the quarterbacks. That is extremely true with quarterbacks like Richardson who enter the NFL with little expertise in faculty and have been at all times considered developmental tasks. There’s a huge leap from the NCAA to the NFL, and when you’ve got a quarterback like Richardson that was solely a full-time starter for one yr in faculty you’re actually placing them right into a sink-or-swim scenario.
They sometimes sink.
Despite the fact that most groups wish to see fast outcomes and throw their younger quarterbacks to the wolves, there are nonetheless some examples within the fashionable NFL as to how some persistence could be useful.
Aaron Rodgers has put collectively a Corridor of Fame profession with 4 MVPs and a Tremendous Bowl title. He sat on the bench for 2 years earlier than he began.
Jordan Love is among the finest quarterbacks within the NFL for the Inexperienced Bay Packers. He sat on the bench for 2 years earlier than turning into a full-time starter.
Patrick Mahomes is on his option to turning into probably the greatest to ever play within the NFL, and spent his rookie yr sitting behind Alex Smith.
Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP and may very well be engaged on his third MVP and he didn’t play till later in his rookie season whereas sitting behind Flacco.
There may be additionally an in depth listing of quarterbacks within the NFL proper now that washed out with the crew that pressured them into motion, after which discovered success in a distinct setting with extra expertise. It’s true for Geno Smith in Seattle, Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay and Sam Darnold in Minnesota.
Even former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields appeared like a distinct and extra profitable quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season earlier than veteran quarterback Russell Wilson regained his beginning job with the crew.
Perhaps Richardson isn’t the reply for the Colts long-term. However they most likely might have stood to let him get some growth time behind a veteran earlier than forcing him into motion and watching him fail.
There’s a lesson right here for them and nearly each different crew within the NFL. Have some extra persistence along with your quarterbacks earlier than you anticipate them to guide your franchise to the Tremendous Bowl.
