WESTFIELD, Ind. – Amid an unrelenting rainstorm that started when practice began and ended when practice finished, Anthony Richardson closed out his 2024 training camp with a flourish on Thursday evening at Grand Park.
The second-year quarterback's final bit of work in Westfield was a two-minute 11-on-11 period against the Arizona Cardinals' defense. Richardson ripped completions to wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Adonai Mitchell before wide receiver Alec Pierce drew pass interference on a deep ball. Richardson then scrambled into the end zone to conclude the first-team offense's work.
The throw to Mitchell might've been Richardson's most impressive of Thursday not just for how he completed it – ripping an out route across the field – but for why he threw the ball there. These two quotes tell the story of it:
Richardson: "So we were tempo, obviously. Went two-by-two, had some deep routes. Necessarily, I'm supposed to work to the boundary because it's an easier throw and then the timing on the clock, you want to make sure you can get enough spacing so you can get out of bounds. But I just looked to the left, and I (had) seen AD in the slot, and I (had) just seen a bunch of green grass, and I was like, 'All right, throw the ball to him.' And it worked."
Head coach Shane Steichen: "The best players I've been around, they've got a natural feel. You know what I mean? There's guys sometimes that are straight robots, and it's like, 'Well coach, you told me to look here.' I was like, 'Yeah, I know I told you to look here, but the guy is open over there too.' Those guys that see that stuff, I think that's what makes those guys special. He's been doing a lot of those things so far in camp, so I'm excited for the season for him."
Throwing the ball to Mitchell may not have been exactly how the play was taught or schemed, but he was open, so Richardson got him the ball. That's a feel not every quarterback has – and it's an important part of Richardson's game.
"To hit that bender down the middle to AD right there in that two-minute drive was huge," Steichen said. "That was a big chunk play that we needed in that situation. Then he finished it with the scramble for the touchdown. It was awesome."
As for the rest of these joint practices, outside of some wet-ball issues at the beginning of full-team work on Thursday – which he quickly resolved those by putting a glove on his right hand – Richardson was crisp, efficient and explosive over the last two days. It was a strong finish to training camp for Richardson, who will not play Saturday night against the Cardinals and then will get a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals next week in Ohio, plus potentially a preseason game on Thursday night.
The Colts' first practice at Grand Park was three weeks ago; in three and a half weeks, Richardson will lead the Colts into a critical season-opening AFC South showdown with the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. While he acknowledged there's stuff to clean up and improve on, overall, he and the Colts left training camp confident in where things stand with the team's offense.
"Camp flew by this year," Richardson said. "Last year, it felt long, but this year, I was like, 'Dang, today is the last day.' I'm grateful for our guys. I'm grateful for the fan base. I'm grateful for everything. I'm just grateful being here. I thank God for allowing me to make it through another year of camp. I'm just looking forward to the season now."
News & Notes
- Colts wide receivers had several wins in one-on-one work early in practice. Mitchell hit a nasty double move for a touchdown and Pittman hauled in an ultra-physical catch in the end zone; Juwann Winfree had a spectacular juggling catch for a score, too.
- Linebacker Segun Olubi snagged an interception during one-on-one drills.
- Cornerback Jaylon Jones broke up a touchdown pass during seven-on-seven.
- Defensive end Laiatu Latu dominated during one-on-one drills and forced consistent pressure during team work. In the Cardinals offense's two-minute drill to end practice, Latu's athleticism and motor shined when quarterback Kyler Murray darted in and out of the pocket only to find No. 97 right in his face, forcing an incompletion.
- Cornerback Kenny Moore II picked off Murray in seven-on-seven, while cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. had an interception during 11-on-11.
