Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard sat down for an in depth interview on this week’s Official Colts Podcast, which included his ideas on what he noticed from quarterback Anthony Richardson earlier than and after the season-ending shoulder damage he sustained in October. 

Ballard mentioned Richardson’s surgical procedure went nicely and his rehab goes nicely, and that previous to the damage the 2023 No. 4 total choose “exceeded my expectations” with a number of the issues he did on the sphere. Particularly: Richardson’s accuracy, instincts and skill to create jumped out, and he confirmed loads of traits that drew the Colts to him by the pre-draft course of. 

Nonetheless, that does not imply Richardson is a completed product, as Ballard defined.

“There isn’t any doubt issues he has to work on, defending himself being one,” Ballard mentioned. “He’ll be taught that — I believe all younger quarterbacks should be taught that, that you do not have to take the pointless pictures on this league that you do not have to take. It is okay to slip, it is okay to step out of bounds. I believe these are issues he’ll be taught as he performs. However actually inspired in regards to the small glimpse we acquired of him.”

Regardless that Richardson’s rookie season noticed him play in simply 4 video games, Ballard mentioned the Colts had been capable of glean sufficient details about him to understand how they will greatest construct round him when he returns to the sphere in 2024. 

“Till you are round any person, regardless of how good persons are on this league, the extra you see and while you get to see them play, a light-weight goes off — okay, that is what we have to do to get this man going,” Ballard mentioned. “You anticipate and also you undertaking however till you might be with them and reside with them and watch them play day by day, understanding what a participant can and might’t do particularly on the quarterback place and the way you bought to construct round it, I believe we acquired a fairly good deal with on him and what he can do and what we have to do to construct round him.”

Take a look at the total interview, with Ballard discussing Richardson in addition to Shane Steichen, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Kenny Moore II and extra on this week’s episode of the Official Colts Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.