Stephen Holder
WESTFIELD, Ind. — The sweets were the biggest problem.
For Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., candy was a particular culprit. The delicious cakes his mom bakes didn’t help either.
Even more than two years since becoming the fourth overall pick in 2023, Richardson remains one of the younger quarterbacks in the NFL. But the league has a way of forcing players to grow up, and Richardson, 23, decided that his quest to become more serious about his craft must also include a revamping of his diet.
“I had to cut the sweets out, man,” Richardson said this week. “It’s the candy. I used to be big on Skittles and all that stuff, just eating candy all the time. So, I’ve been just trying to cut out the sugary stuff and hydrate more.
“I need to be more of a pro when it comes to my eating.”
Richardson’s offseason overhaul has led to quick results: He said he’s lost 10 pounds (down to 240), the difference apparent in his slimmer face and trimmer physique.
Eliminating Skittles alone won’t transform Richardson from a quarterback with a 50% career completion rate who’s now fighting to hold onto his job into an instant All-Pro. But it’s one small piece of evidence that Richardson is taking a more thoughtful approach to 2025, the season that will likely determine his immediate NFL future.
Richardson’s injuries and struggles last season left the Colts uncertain about whether he could, in fact, be their long-term starting quarterback. That prompted them to sign veteran Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract, declaring the job up for grabs.
It’s all been quite the wake-up call for Richardson.
The Colts are a long way from making a quarterback decision, but Richardson believes he’s a better version of himself because of the renewed approach he’s taken toward his diet, mechanics and preparation.
“I just feel like the things I was doing last year and the year before, I feel like there was more [to do],” Richardson said. “All the greats, they always do more. They do more than what other people are expecting them to do.
“After last season, I felt like I needed to do more not only for the team, but for myself. If I want to be a great and I want to be in the Hall of Fame one day, I have to do more. I know I have to go do things that other people won’t do.”
Right now, much of that consists of obsessing about details more. Richardson’s footwork provides a good example. It was inconsistent, at best, during his first two seasons. The sloppiness in his mechanics last season was a factor in his increased interception rate, from 1.2% as a rookie to 4% in 2024 (12 interceptions). That was the NFL’s highest rate among starting quarterbacks.
After working with his private coaches on technical aspects during the offseason, Richardson’s footwork has been noticeably better so far in training camp. That is leading to more accuracy.
“When your feet are right, your timing is right,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “You’re in rhythm, the ball comes out a little more rhythmically. The feet lead the whole thing. So, when your feet are off… you don’t throw the ball as well as you should.”
That Richardson took the initiative to zero in on an area of weakness is promising. His uneven play wasn’t the only area of criticism from the organization last year. Richardson was benched for two games in favor of veteran Joe Flacco at midseason in part because coaches thought he was not adequately preparing.
No less than primary owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon seemed to reference those issues when she said last month that Richardson “has all the potential in the world, and if he wants to prove it, he can. And he will if he wants to.”
The benching prompted Richardson to revise his daily schedule to arrive at the team facility earlier and to spend additional time meeting with coaches throughout the day. That intensified approach seems to be continuing in 2025.
There have been hard-learned lessons for Richardson. He was incessantly criticized after tapping out of a play in a game against the Houston Texans last season because, he said, he was exhausted after a grueling series of plays. The benching was also humbling.
But those events played a role in helping Richardson find this new focus.
“I’m proud of Anthony,” general manager Chris Ballard said. “He’s growing. He’s still young, but he’s growing… Unfortunately, growth does not happen through success. Growth happens when you have to go through a lot of s—. And a lot of times, people don’t have success because they don’t want to go through it. Sometimes you have to go through it.”
Richardson hasn’t been consistently excellent in camp, but he’s showing progress in areas that were previously concerns. His accuracy on the quicker, shorter throws that have been problematic for him is improving. He’s also shown himself to be more decisive. The winner of the quarterback battle likely won’t be decided for many more weeks, but Richardson seems to be doing what it takes to give himself the best shot to win it.
“Just taking a deeper dive and studying my playbook a little longer, asking more questions, going through my footwork, walking through the plays by myself, just stuff like that,” he said. “Just trying to do more.”
Soon, we’ll learn whether more work and fewer Skittles is a recipe for success for Richardson.
