The 6-2 Minnesota Vikings are one of the surprise teams in the NFL this season, largely thanks to their head coach Kevin O’Connell. Prior to skyrocketing up the coaching ranks as a brilliant offensive mind, Bill Belichick of all people selected O’Connell in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft to hopefully be a viable backup quarterback for Tom Brady. Either that or O’Connell could be flipped in a future trade for another premium pick.
Things didn’t quite work out in the league for O’Connell as a player, but I imagine that’s some of the motivational fuel behind his meteoric rise that landed him in Minnesota. O’Connell’s play-calling prowess helped keep the Vikings’ ship afloat last season despite a revolving door of QBs, and this year, he’s revived the career of Sam Darnold, the former Jets No. 3 overall pick who was long considered a massive bust.
#Vikings QB Sam Darnold has had a passer rating over 100 in 7/8 starts this season, tied for 1st in the #NFL with #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/zDgz3zUjkK
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) November 7, 2024
Safe to say O’Connell knows a little bit of ball. One of the biggest QB-centric storylines going is the fact that the Indianapolis Colts benched Anthony Richardson in favor of wily veteran Joe Flacco prior to last week’s action. Richardson was considered a project coming out of the University of Florida, having only made 13 college starts. His rookie campaign was cut short by an injury to his throwing shoulder, yet the early returns for the dual-threat dynamo were promising.
Unfortunately, due to any number of factors, Richardson regressed to begin the 2024 campaign. With the Colts in the playoff hunt and Flacco coming off leading the Browns to an improbable postseason berth last season, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen’s patience ran out. He sat the fourth overall pick, who everyone agrees, needs live game reps to accelerate his development, in favor of a win-now approach.
All indications are the Colts haven’t necessarily given up on Richardson. He’s started and finished only seven NFL games. Combine that with his scant college experience, and hitting “EJECT” on a top-four pick with Richardson’s supreme athletic talent seems nonsensical. Nevertheless, as Adam Schefter himself pointed out, the track record for QBs in similar situations doesn’t bode well for Richardson.
Based on history, this looks like the beginning of the end of Anthony Richardson’s time in Indianapolis. From 2000-2022, there were 66 quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and 25 of those QBs were benched at some point while on their rookie contract. Mitch… pic.twitter.com/sK8aCZpKg3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2024
Now to tie it all together: If anyone knows about what it takes to successfully develop a quarterback in the NFL, even on the fly during a season, it’s Kevin O’Connell. That’s why it’s particularly notable that, after the Vikings defeated the Flacco-led Colts 21-13 in a game where Indy failed to score an offensive touchdown, KOC implored AR to keep his head up and keep working so that he’s fully ready for his next opportunity.
“Hey, do me a favor and remember something: You’re a bad dude. And you’re going to play a long time in this league, alright? Go to work every day, and good things will happen for you. I still believe in you. I know these guys do. Shane [Steichen] does too. Man, this organization loves you. Go to work… all love, man.”
.@Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell had some words of encouragement for @GVOaant ❤️ pic.twitter.com/TaXW9dFaMx
— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2024
You, reader, may or may not know that I went 10 toes down, and said with my chest that Anthony Richardson would prove to be the QB1 from the 2023 draft class, which also features Indy’s division rival, CJ Stroud of the Texans, and Panthers No. 1 pick Bryce Young. In the limited action we saw from Richardson as a rookie, the explosive play potential and elite running ability were obvious.
Another anecdote: We have a fantasy league here at Whiskey Riff, and despite Richardson coming off shoulder surgery, I made the audacious move to go all-in on him as my starting QB. Among a few flashes of brilliance were glaring red flags that rendered him unplayable by the Colts organization, and totally ended any chance I had of salvaging a decent fantasy season. I will admit, my faith in Richardson developing into a franchise QB was shaken to the core by his sluggish start to the year, and once the Colts benched him so early, my first thought was, “Wow. They already know he can’t hack it.”
But then you look at KOC’s field general, Sam Darnold and how he failed with the Jets and Panthers before flourishing in 2024. Then you look at Darnold’s classmate, Browns top pick Baker Mayfield. He flamed out in Cleveland, flopped in Carolina alongside Darnold, and after a brief stint with the Rams, took a bargain bin deal to play for the Bucs as an experimental, long-shot successor to Tom Brady. Looks like Baker is somehow going to pull that off, against all odds.
Baker Mayfield has 23 passing Touchdowns on the season. The o/u from Vegas before the season was 23.5.
One passing TD and he hits the over on the bet in week 10 of the season. pic.twitter.com/9nvyE4vI8T
— JC Cornell (@CornellNFL) November 7, 2024
Now Darnold and Baker were more polished passers coming out of college; Darnold was considered raw and inexperienced after his career at USC as a two-year starter. His 27 starts are more than double what Richardson got at the collegiate level.
O’Connell was on The Rich Eisen Show a while back and shared something that resonated with a lot of folks, underscoring how vital it is for any QB to land with a good organization.
Great line from #Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on @RichEisenShow:
“I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 27, 2024
What a slogan. Former Michigan Wolverines QB JJ McCarthy was a top-10 pick this year and is waiting in the wings behind Darnold to take over in Minnesota someday. McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in the preseason, yet the plan at the outset was to ease him into the pro game and sit on the bench until he was ready.
Part of getting drafted so high means you’re likely going to a losing team with a dysfunctional overall football operation. Not ready to say the Colts have outright botched their handling of Richardson, but it ain’t looking great thus far.
The Colts have flailed in desperation for a viable QB solution since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement. They gave Richardson an NFL baptism by fire by throwing him out there in Week 1 as a rookie. He acquitted himself better than most expected. Alas, the inevitable growing pains really showed up this year, and now Indy has toyed with his confidence by relegating him to clipboard-holding duties.
Developing a franchise quarterback isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. If it was, everyone would do it the same way, and we’d rarely have high draft picks who fail. It’s unclear when Richardson will get his next chance, but as someone who’s been supernova-burned by Richardson’s rough go of it this season, my optimism in AR’s upside and career trajectory are renewed. It’s just unfortunate that, barring some unforeseen circumstances, any rapid growth gains by Richardson will be too little, too late for my fantasy squad.
