Colts' Zaire Franklin Has Bold Statement on Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts linebacker loved what he saw from his young quarterback on Sunday.

Oct 20, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin (44) high fives his teammates as he takes the field during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/IndyStar USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Christine Tannous/IndyStar USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images-Imagn Images

This past Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts saw their second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson step up to the occasion against the New England Patriots in an eventual 25-24 victory, lifting the Colts to only one game back from .500 at 6-7 heading into their late Week 14 bye.

Richardson finished the game spearheading Indianapolis with a 19-play drive at the end of the fourth quarter to cap off the win. After being stuck on the bench as the Colts' second-string quarterback just a month ago, the sudden shift to once again becoming a budding franchise signal-caller has been nothing short of impressive.

After the win, we saw Colts' veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin give Richardson some high praise after leading the way for the game-winning drive.

"Put the ball in [Richardson's] hands," Franklin said. "He is a superstar in the making. I just love watching him continue to grow and develop as a player and continue to bounce back and fight. He is a special player.”

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Richardson finished the game completing 12 of his 24 throws for 109 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, adding a rushing touchdown as well. There remains room for improvement looking ahead to the final four games of the year, yet it's hard to dislike the initial progress.

Anthony Richardson delivered with the game on the line 🥶 @GVOaant | @wingstop pic.twitter.com/KHzhet6vVA

— NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2024

Franklin then went on to reveal some of the valuable advice he gave to the second-year quarterback before Sunday's contest.

“I said it to him, I said, ‘Look, when you commit to the process, you give yourself a chance to be great, it’s no guarantee, but you give yourself a chance,' Franklin continued. "He gives himself a chance every week to be great. He has had the opportunity to show up and answer the bell for us a couple of times and it’s just special.”

It was a turbulent first half of the season for the Colts quarterback, but it seems things are starting to return on the right track for the fifth overall pick one step at a time-- and his teammates are clearly taking notice.

The Colts will have a 13-day rest before getting back to the grind on the road against the Denver Broncos come Week 15.

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