INDIANAPOLIS -- Quarterback Anthony Richardson returned to Indianapolis Colts headquarters for the first time Tuesday under very different circumstances.
As the Colts' offseason program gets underway, Richardson finds himself locked in a position battle with veteran Daniel Jones. But rather than recoil from the situation, Richardson said he is leaning into it and anticipates learning from Jones.
"I'm looking forward to learning a lot from him," Richardson said of Jones, who joined the Colts on a one-year contract last month. "He's been in the league for a good minute, had ups and downs throughout his career. So I'm looking to learn as much as I can from him while we just push this competition to just get better."
It's the rare situation where a highly drafted quarterback who was named a starter early in his career now finds himself having to fight for that very job. Richardson, the No. 4 pick in 2023, was quickly named the starter in his first training camp. But his grip on QB1 began to weaken after he was benched two games last season for veteran Joe Flacco.
Richardson is taking the high road and embracing the challenge as he attempts to demonstrate he can improve on his 50.6% career completion rate.
He said Tuesday he won't shy away from the competition and in fact welcomes it.
"Competition, that brings the best out of you and that's just how life works," he said. "You've got to compete and just get better because somebody else to the right, left or even in front of you is trying to outwork you and be better than you. So, competition, I love it."
Richardson has spent the past few months fine-tuning his game with his trainers in Florida. The Colts have said they've gotten encouraging reports on his progress during what has been a key offseason.
Last spring, in Richardson's first offseason as a pro, he was relegated mostly to rehab after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in October 2023. His number of pass attempts was closely monitored all the way through the offseason as he worked to regain the strength in his throwing shoulder.
This offseason, Richardson said, he has gotten more detailed work that he thinks will impact his performance.
Richardson said he worked extensively on "footwork" and "being able to just stay calm in the pocket."
He added, "That was really one of the main things I wanted to focus on because everybody knows I can throw the ball whenever [the pocket] is smooth, but I want to find opportunities for myself to be consistent when I am off-balance, make decent throws, and even when everything is perfect, making sure my feet are intact and my base is solid."
Colts coach Shane Steichen stressed repeatedly Tuesday that consistency will be the deciding factor in the QB battle -- an area where Richardson has had repeated struggles. He has established a reputation for big plays but has been unpredictable on a play-to-play basis.
"It's the most consistent guy," Steichen said. "I really do [believe that]. At the end of the day, you've got to be able to move the football consistently up and down the field, and making good decisions. ... You can have splash plays, but if you're doing that sparingly and [you're] up and down, I think it's got to be on a consistent basis to get to where we want to go."
