WESTFIELD, Ind. – Joe Flacco is used to being reminded of his age.
It seems like every day one of the veteran quarterback's teammates comes up to him and makes a joke about how many years he's been in the NFL (18) and how old he is (39). He's okay with that.
"Honestly, I think it's a good thing," Flacco said Wednesday. "I think you need those reminders every now and then that show you how lucky you are to play this game."
Flacco, signed by the Colts as an unrestricted free agent in March 2024, has fit in seamlessly with the team in every way, from providing valuable insight in the quarterback room to being able to joke around with his teammates – some of whom are almost 20 years younger than him. With his extensive experience, he's a fountain of knowledge and information, and no one is benefiting more from that than Anthony Richardson.
"In the meeting room, it's great to have (Flacco) just with his experience, what he's seen, you know, he's seen it all," quarterbacks coach Cam Turner said. "And so for Anthony to hear it from a player's point of view, who's been through it, I think it's invaluable."
Richardson, who started just five games in 2023 before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury, can greatly benefit from advice from someone like Flacco. But their relationship isn't as mentor-mentee-based as one might think; Flacco is also learning from the young quarterback.
"Anthony's been in the system and Joe's asked him questions," Turner said. "So I think definitely they'll feed off each other."
And when it comes to showing off their strength and accuracy, well, they just motivate each other even more.
"Joe's arm is, I mean, there's no throw he can't make on the field, and Anthony's right there with him," Turner said. "They're right there together and it's like, 'Alright, he makes that throw, watch this, I can do it too.' So it's fun to see them compete."
Because even though Richardson is entering just his second season in the NFL – and has yet to play a full pro season – he acts more like a veteran than a rookie. Richardson is coming into this season with a solid foundation from his rookie year, despite his injury, because he still sat in on meetings and gave his all to learning and getting better even if he couldn't get out on the field.
"We throw a ton at him on purpose, and he handles it well and he retains it all," Turner said. "We hit the ground running in the offseason with the installs because he had the foundation from last year."
Richardson's mentality and maturity has always made him stand out, and he makes football his priority no matter what – to the point where he won't even really "shoot the breeze" at meetings, Flacco said. And now that Richardson is back on the football field, that kind of focus is only helping to cement him as a leader among his teammates.
"The leadership role is really starting to come out," center Ryan Kelly said. "I think it's awesome to see him progress, to see what he can do on the field, what he can do in the leadership role in the huddle, and I think just the impact he has when it steps into the huddle. It's not always about what you say, it's about the motivation, the feeling guys get when you step in the huddle of 'This guy knows exactly what he's doing, we're prepared, whatever he calls is going to be successful.'"
Kelly, entering his ninth season with the Colts, has worked with his fair share of quarterbacks over the years. None have been quite like Richardson.
"You look at the way he moves at the weight he is, it's insane," Kelly said. "It's so drastically different of what he can do physically."
Richardson's speed and agility are some of his primary calling cards, even though he weighs in at 250 pounds – something he proudly yells out whenever he gets the chance. So, when you combine that physicality with his mental capacity, Richardson's in a league of his own.
"He makes great reads when it comes to whether it's an option play or he's reading the defensive end or the backside linebacker," Kelly said. "He's got more reads than I've ever seen somebody have to go through on a single process, and for his ability to do that at such a young age with that physicality is pretty impressive."
