Colts
Colts QB Anthony Richardson missed most of his rookie season after undergoing surgery on the AC joint in his shoulder but still feels he had a good learning experience even though he was on the sideline.
“I’m not going to lie,” Richardson said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN. “Those first few weeks were definitely hard for me. I’ve never missed a season of football. I’ve dealt with injuries before, but never sat out games, never was told that my season was done and I had to wait. So, it definitely did hurt me, because this was the first year where I didn’t have football to guide me.”
“I just sat down and opened my eyes and realized I’m blessed to be in the NFL, blessed to be on this team,” Richardson added. “I’m blessed to be sitting here talking to you. So, I just had to look at the bigger picture and understand it is all part of the process. Trying to see the good in everything else around me. But it was definitely tough. But I could talk to some people, letting my emotions out a little bit. I finally came around and understood my purpose in this building.”
Colts WR Michael Pittman, HC Shane Steichen, and RB Jonathan Taylor all complimented Richardson’s willingness to learn even though he was unable to get on the field.
“Being such a young guy and watching C.J. and Bryce play,” Pittman said of Richardson. “People don’t talk about it, but that’s taxing. He’s watching them play well and just knowing that he wants to be out there, too, and he feels that pressure.”
“He got a chance to sit back, watch and learn,” Steichen noted. “I had some good meetings with him throughout the season, just individually, me and him, sitting down talking football. Just seeing the NFL season as a whole. Obviously, [we] would’ve loved to have him out there for the season to learn that way … But I think [the lessons] are going to make him stronger in the end.”
Texans
Texans DE Jonathan Greenard said he hopes to return to Houston next season, as his rookie contract is set to expire this offseason.
“Man, at this point, they know I love Houston,” Greenard said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC. ” I know I definitely want to come back, but as we know, that’s not up to me. At this point, I can’t do much more. I feel like I put my portfolio out there and closed that chapter and the rest will take care of itself. If they have me back, I’ll be 10 toes down, but if not, it’s just a game. I’ll definitely appreciate if this was the last time.”
Texans
Although the Texans’ 2023 season ended with a 34-10 loss to the Ravens in the divisional round, Houston far exceeded any expectations entering this season by making it that far. Sportsbooks projected the Texans to be the second-worst team in the NFL, but instead under first-year HC DeMeco Ryans, first-round QB C.J. Stroud, and first-round DE Will Anderson, they were tied 10-10 with the top-seeded Ravens at the half. The future looks bright and Ryans said as much.
“This wasn’t our moment right now, this wasn’t our time right now, we didn’t get it done,” Ryans said via NFL Media’s Grant Gordon. “But I’m proud of each and every coach and player in the locker room for what we’ve accomplished throughout the entire year, how we grew through the entire year, and I’m proud of our guys. That’s what I told all our guys, keep your head up. Like, credit to the Ravens, but man, proud of each and every man.”
“It’s been a heckuva year, and I think DeMeco hit on it there, the future’s bright, man, but these types of losses suck, you know,” Stroud added. “That’s a great Ravens team over there and they deserved to win, and it’s tough to just get embarrassed like that, but definitely I think our future is bright.”
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