AFC Notes: Anthony Richardson, Colts, Jaguars, Titans

Colts

The Athletic’s Zak Keefer and James Boyd did a deep dive into how things are behind the scenes for the Colts after a tumultuous and disappointing season. The mood in the building is not good right now with one veteran player giving the two an eye-rasing quote. 

“There’s no vision,” the player said. “From the top down — from the front office, to the coaches, to the players — no one is ever on the same page, and every year at the end, we’re sitting here losing. If you look at the best teams in the league, they all have a vision, and they commit to it. The Chiefs keep winning because they have a vision. The Lions turned things around because they have a vision. There’s no vision here.”

• Many of the team’s problems are traced back to an inability to find a solution at quarterback following the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck. Colts GM Chris Ballard told the team he planned to draft a quarterback every year until he found one and reportedly liked Jalen Hurts in 2020, per the Athletic. But the Eagles beat him to the punch and Ballard only used Day 3 picks on the position until drafting QB Anthony Richardson in the first round last year. 
• The Colts knew Richardson was going to be a project and that’s proved to be the case. The physical talent is clearly there but the mental side is where other talent evaluators with other teams say the gap currently is: “The preparation stuff isn’t there yet. He just doesn’t know.”
• Another added: “A good kid but naïve to what it takes to be a pro QB.” 
• Ballard told the Athletic earlier this season after the team surprisingly benched Richardson he wished they had sat him as a rookie. However, the report says owner Jim Irsay was pushing for Richardson to play from the jump. 
• The report from the Athletic also highlighted how Colts HC Shane Steichen‘s reluctance to share any information in press conferences has inadvertently thrown Richardson under the bus, for example, this past week when Steichen said Richardson was missing practice because his back was sore. A team source later clarified to the whole Colts beat that Richardson had serious back spasms. 
• Steichen’s flip-flop between Richardson and veteran QB Joe Flacco, which ended after just two games, also went over poorly in the locker room. One player said: “They were trying to hold (Richardson) accountable, which is understandable, but then the guy they put in wasn’t the guy either. So when they went back to A.R., at that point it’s like, ‘OK, but what are we doing?’ That really affected the team.”
• Multiple players met with Richardson privately this season to tell him he wasn’t meeting the standard, per the Athletic, and backup QB Sam Ehlinger recommended the book Atomic Habits. The report goes on to say Richardson has seemed to take the feedback to heart. 
• The Athletic writes the culture, work habits, effort and attention to detail criticisms aren’t limited to Richardson — they’ve plagued the whole team this year. Former Colts punter and ESPN personality Pat McAfee ripped the team this past week, calling out the culture of players being late for meetings and treatment which Steichen didn’t deny. 
• Some examples from the Athletic: Colts CB Kenny Moore called the team out halfway through the season for a lack of urgency and attention to detail with preparation. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball before crossing the goal line in what proved to be a critical loss to the Broncos. Team leader LB Zaire Franklin got egg on his face for trash-talking the Giants in his podcast earlier this season, then losing to them in a blowout this past week. 

Jaguars

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano write that most sources they talk to expect the Jaguars to fire HC Doug Pederson at the end of the season. 
• Fowler notes people are not as definitive about GM Trent Baalke. While it would make a lot of sense for Jacksonville to do a clean sweep, Baalke has had a way throughout his career of surviving these sorts of changes. 
• Jaguars LS Ross Matiscik earns a $50,000 incentive for being elected to the Pro Bowl, via Joel Corry. 
• Jacksonville P Logan Cooke earned a $400,00 incentive for his Pro Bowl selection, via Corry. 

Titans

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano gets the sense Titans HC Brian Callahan is safe going into 2025, as ownership wants to give him a chance with a handpicked quarterback.