INDIANAPOLIS – For those late to the discussion, the NFL is all about the quarterback.
It’s about Patrick Mahomes and the historic three-peat he’s trying to pull off with the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s about Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott and a handful of others.
And yes, it’s about the new wave of young guns. Three rookies are in line for opening day starts: Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix.
Regardless the strength of a team’s roster, success is directly tied to the man under center.
Which brings us to the Indianapolis Colts.
General manager Chris Ballard and his personnel staff might have constructed their best roster since Andrew Luck dropped his retirement bombshell two weeks prior to the 2019 opener.
But the Colts will go only as far as Anthony Richardson takes them.
If the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft was the right choice, there’s every likelihood the franchise returns to prominence. You know, an occasional AFC South championship that’s been missing since 2014. And a playoff berth that’s been lacking since 2020.
If not, well, Indy has experienced that unfulfilling Jacoby Brissett-Philip Rivers-Carson Wentz-Matt Ryan smorgasbord not that long ago.
Richardson gives everyone hope, even if it’s based on the lightest of NFL resumes: four starts, 173 snaps and 84 pass attempts as a rookie.
On Wednesday afternoon, linebacker Zaire Franklin referred to Stroud, who was taken two slots ahead of Richardson in ’23, as a “talented young quarterback who has an extremely bright future in this league.’’
Franklin was reminded his team also has a young quarterback with a bright future.
He smiled.
“Oh, yeah, I know that,’’ Franklin said. “But it’s time for the world to find out.’’
That time is Sunday when Richardson and his Colts square off against Stroud and his Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Stroud already is considered one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks after leading Houston to the AFC South title last season – the 23-19 win in week 18 over the Richardson-less Colts in Indy clinched it – and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in the process.
Richardson remains untapped potential.
He’s 22 and, incredibly, will be the league’s youngest starting opening day quarterback for a second consecutive season.
As a 21-year-old rookie last September against Jacksonville, Richardson was the third-youngest starting quarterback in league history (Denver’s Tommy Maddox and the Jets’ Sam Darnold were younger) and the youngest in Colts’ history.
“Very unique,’’ coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s pretty special if you think about it: 22-year-old starting quarterback in the NFL.
“Blessed, fortunate, for him and his abilities to be out there with our guys for sure.’’
Peyton Manning became the face of the franchise the second the Colts selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 1998.
Ditto, Luck in 2012.
Richardson hasn’t come close to approaching either’s stature – it’s just year two, and there are those injuries that interrupted then ended year one – but no one should question the shadow the 6-4, 255-pounder casts.
It’s not a stretch to insist he’s larger than life.
Like roughly 20 stories tall.
Drive through downtown Indy and you can’t miss his image on the eastside of the JW Marriott. Richardson is captured a split-second before emphatically spiking the football after scoring a touchdown.
“I’m not really into all the flash and glamour and stuff like that, but I definitely appreciate the support,’’ he said. “Seeing myself on the side of a building, it’s pretty cool because you’re not used to seeing stuff like that.
“But I try not to focus too much on stuff like that and just try to do my job.’’
The pressure of being the guy? The weight of a franchise and a city rest on his shoulders.
“As the franchise guy,’’ Richardson said using his hands for air quotes, “people are expecting you to win and do great things. So, that’s some pressure right there on itself; winning, trying to win.
“Things don’t go your way, you can’t let it roll over like that. So, you just got to make sure you focus and not let the outside expectations take control.’’
Richardson displayed rare talents at Florida and in four games with the Colts. It’s the type of skillset that can transcend even the expert play-calling designs of Steichen and coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
White boards decorate Cooter’s office, allowing him to draw up and tweak plays that are from parts of the playbook, or will be added to it.
“To have a player like Anthony back there at quarterback doesn’t restrict a lot of those drawings,’’ he said.
And if you complement the multi-dimensional Richardson with 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor?
“I mean, the playbook is open to everything,’’ Steichen said. “I mean, those two guys are super explosive in the backfield.’’
As much as Taylor must be the catalyst for the run game, Richardson is the catalyst for everything on offense.
“It’s true, you’ve got a lot of weight on your shoulders at that position,’’ Steichen said. “I don’t care whether you’re a 10-year vet, second-year player, 22 years old.
“When you’re a starting quarterback in the NFL, it comes with a lot of responsibility. The way he’s handled it, last year with the injury, going through this offseason and now going through a full season, there’s a lot. We’ve all got his back. I mean, that’s the deal, right?
“There’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows, but we’re expecting a lot more highs for sure because of his ability. We’re behind him 100%.’’
And Franklin was quick to drive that point home.
Remember that impressive mural decorating the JW Marriott?
Richardson is flanked by Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr.
“That’s why you’ve got great men around you,’’ Franklin said. “He’s never out there by himself. That’s what Pitt is for. That’s what JT is for. Quenton (Nelson), Ryan (Kelly). And he knows that.
“He understands he’s not out here by himself. That’s what the team’s for.’’
Franklin and the rest of the Colts have witnessed Richardson’s much-hyped arrival and development. They watched him interact with teammates in the locker room and earn their trust. Richardson was voted a team captain as a rookie, and again this season.
They saw the early flashes, how he dealt with a season-ending shoulder injury in week 5 against Tennessee and the manner with which he attacked his rehab.
Everyone has seen Richardson embrace the pressure and expectation that come along with being that next quarterback to lead the franchise to something special.
Again, Franklin smiled.
“Man, I’m not going to lie, Anthony has handled with grace and poise,’’ he said. “I think that’s all you can really ask for when you have a young QB. He’s not a bigger-than-thou guy. He’s humble. From day 1 he just wanted to be a part of the guys.
“Everybody feeds off that. I think he understands who the team is, the type of men he has around him. In numerous conversations we’ve had, he just wants to be a part of that. Watching us go on that run last year, the hardest part of him just not being able to be a part of it.
“This is the opportunity he’s been waiting for, with the type of team that he’s been waiting for, with the type of coaches he’s been waiting for. I think he’s going to try to take advantage of it.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.