Derek Schultz: Run, Richardson! Run!

Colts head coach Shane Steichen knew the questions about protecting Anthony Richardson were coming. After playing just 10 quarters in his rookie season, it’s obvious to even the most casual observer that Richardson’s health is the most critical factor to Steichen’s Colts getting back to true contention.

The second-year head coach knows that and could’ve prepared a generic answer to disarm the media brigade. After all, this is training-camp season—a time on the NFL calendar when players and coaches around the league are giving truckloads of the same and mostly meaningless responses each day. Everyone feels “confident” heading into a new season, is “in the best shape of their life” and boasts about the strength of the “culture” in their locker room.

Instead, perhaps befitting of his personality as a coach, Steichen attacked the topic head-on.

“People ask this a lot: ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’” Steichen proactively began, answering the question before it was even tossed his way, “I think, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers?’

“That’s one of Anthony’s strengths,” Steichen said. “We’re not going to get away from that.”

That comment might not sit well with Colts fans who watched Richardson leave or fail to finish every game he participated in as a rookie or the ones who are still suffering from traumatic flashbacks of Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement, but it’s the correct stance.

That’s because, while Richardson might still have a high ceiling as a passer, the most NFL-ready asset he brings to the table is his running ability. It is the attribute with the flattest learning curve and one that does not require several seasons’ worth of experience. Richardson’s mobility and escapability (a newer-age NFL term with the rise of uber-athletic quarterbacks) immediately translate—we saw it in his scintillating first-half performance in Houston in his second career start last season—and opposing defenses have to prepare for, and reckon with, those abilities.

Even Colts owner Jim Irsay, who has been around the block a time or two, agrees with his head coach’s assessment. “We drafted [Richardson] because we know, with his feet, that he can be dangerous and pick up critical yards at critical times,” Irsay told reporters in Westfield. “So, I think his style is great. We’re just really looking forward to him having a great year throwing and running.”

The quarterback position has evolved significantly in the four decades Irsay has been around the game in a professional capacity. In his early years, a QB using his feet for anything other than an occasional short-yardage sneak or to avoid a sack wasn’t common.

During the 1984 season, the Colts’ first in Indianapolis, Miami’s Dan Marino accounted for 5,077 total yards; 5,084 of those were through the air (that passing yardage record stood for 17 years), while he actually lost seven yards on the ground (minus-7 rushing yards, due to having more kneel-downs than legitimate rushing attempts). Not all quarterbacks were as averse to running as Marino was, but those who actually could run, like John Elway or Steve Young, were few and far between. Someone with Randall Cunningham’s dynamic ability? Well, that was the equivalent of a football unicorn.

While having a quarterback who could run was once a novelty, it has become a necessity in the modern NFL. Last season, nine quarterbacks registered at least 70 rushing attempts over the course of the season. Four ran the ball over 100 times, with Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts tabulating a league-high 157 carries. Just 15 years ago, only one quarterback registered at least 70 rushing attempts (Jacksonville’s David Garrard with 77), accounting for an NFL-best 323 yards, which is a yardage output that would’ve ranked 10th in 2023.

Three of the four quarterback leaders in rushing attempts and yards in 2023—Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen—led teams who won 11 games or more and reached the playoffs. Jackson himself has already racked up over 5,000 yards on the ground throughout his career and better than 875 rushing yards per season, earning two NFL MVP awards along the way.

Obviously, Richardson has yet to establish himself, but one of the keys in doing so is his running ability, which is something the Colts have never really had at the position. Even if running comes with increased injury concerns, Steichen’s offense is never going to reach its potential unless it can release its full array of weaponry. Given what the defense went through with Richardson last season, you can understand Colts fans’ hesitancy when it comes to leaning heavily on that approach, but in a physical game where injuries can come at any time, there is no such thing as a fully “safe” plan of attack.

“My legs have always been one of my superpowers,” Richardson said. “If you’re trying to take that away from me, I don’t think that’s a good thing for this offense. It’s more me playing smarter, learning how to take care of myself and when to make the right play.”

“Don’t take my legs away—just be smarter,” he said.

“Smarter” includes not gliding into the end zone in Houston last season, a decision that opened Richardson up to a massive hit from Texans safety M.J. Stewart, which led to a concussion. There’s also something to Richardson’s learning to give up on lost plays (something Luck never quite learned to do during his time here) and not unnecessarily opening himself up to punishment from opposing defenses.

No one is asking for a running-back-level carry load for Richardson—the Colts have former All-Pro Jonathan Taylor, whom you may have heard of, for that—nor are they asking Steichen to go all-in on Richardson as a runner and ignore his substantial potential as a thrower. However, forcing Richardson to be constantly concerned with sliding or dialing back designed runs does more harm than good. We can all agree that Richardson’s health and durability are a concern, but playing scared isn’t a solution.

If we’ve learned anything from the generic parade of training camp answers out of Westfield so far this summer, it’s that the Colts are going to open up Richardson in his second NFL season. While that might open up their franchise quarterback to harm, it is the only way to open up the team to the possibility of reaching its potential.•

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From Peyton Manning’s peak with the Colts to the Pacers’ most recent roster makeover, Schultz has talked about it all as a sports personality in Indianapolis for more than 15 years. Besides his written work with IBJ, he’s active in podcasting and show hosting. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Schultz975.