With Anthony Richardson’s tenure in Indianapolis collapsing, Liam Coen’s proven history of reviving former top picks offers an interesting gamble for the Jaguars’ quarterback room.
Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Anthony Richardson may already be a lost cause.
Even though NFL teams knew he was an extremely raw prospect coming out of Florida, Richardson wowed everyone at the Scouting Combine by testing as the most athletic QB ever. It was thought that, with proper coaching and patience, Richardson could develop into a unicorn with Lamar Jackson's legs and Patrick Mahomes' right arm.
In his three seasons in Indy, Richardson's ability has proven to be a unicorn, in that it doesn't exist. The fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has been unable to earn a starting role for any lasting period of time. The Colts have given him more chances than Jennifer Lopez has given Ben Affleck.
At least J-Lo and Affleck got a couple of good years out of their partnership. The same cannot be said for the Colts and Richardson.
Richardson requested a trade this offseason and has been reported as looking "completely checked out" at Colts' training camp. Indianapolis has demoted him to third-string QB, and it wouldn't be that big of a surprise if the team cuts him before the season.
I don't know if Richardson will ever be able to jumpstart his career with another team. I do know that if any of the enormous talent is still in there somewhere, nobody would be able to get it to come out better than Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen.
Could Richardson be the next quarterback coach Coen can resurrect?
Would he even be worth a try?
Coen The Quarterback Whisperer
If there is one coach in the NFL who may be able to have Richardson reach even half of his potential, it's Liam Coen.
Coen transformed Baker Mayfield into a franchise QB during his lone season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator in 2024. The magic he worked with Mayfield helped him get the head coaching job in Jacksonville, where, in his first season, Coen developed Trevor Lawrence into an MVP finalist.
Both Mayfield and Lawrence were former top overall picks who had gone through plenty of struggles in their careers before Coen showed up.
Could Coen do the same for Richardson?
Need Vs Risk
Right now, Jacksonville's backup QB is Nick Mullens. Mullens is a perfectly capable backup, but his upside is nowhere near that of Richardson's. If the Jaguars wanted to bet on an underachieving player turning things around, very few would have a potential payoff as big as Richardson could.
Obviously, bringing in Richardson would carry some risk. It's never great when a player is reported to have "checked out" on his team. Richardson also had previously done enormous harm to his reputation by tapping out of a game because he was "tired."
Would Coen and the Jaguars really want to devote extra time and effort on a reclamation project? Especially during a season that has such high expectations?
If Richardson's attitude continues to be poor, could it affect the rest of the locker room? Jacksonville has a strong group, so maybe the locker room could have a positive effect on Richardson. Lawrence recently spoke about how Coen's intensity and mentality rubbed off on him. Perhaps he could do the same for Richardson.
Final Thoughts
Very few players in the NFL have physical traits as enticing as Richardson's. It is obvious his time with the Colts is nearing an end, and there will be a team that takes a shot on him being able to turn things around.
If anyone can squeeze anything out of Richardson, it would be Coen. His track record with quarterbacks speaks for itself, and Richardson could be next.
Jacksonville bringing in Richardson remains a long shot, but it would be fun to see what Coen could do with him.
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