On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Indianapolis Colts are truly at a crossroads with, not only the franchise's future, but also quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson has all the talent a QB can ask for, but it has to translate to consistent improvement and wins in the NFL. Neither has been displayed with confidence.
This points to Indy addressing Richardson's rollercoaster play by bringing in viable competition to ensure he's the guy, as well as pushing him to be the best field general possible.
In a 'boom or bust' free agent piece from NFL.com's Matt Okada, a name sticks out as a QB option: Justin Fields.
Okada lays out the honesty on Field's tenure as an NFL field general.
"Justin Fields has flashed plenty of upside in four seasons, but the vast majority of it has come on the ground, while his passing production has remained unsustainably low."
Okada's assessment isn't wrong. In four years (three - Chicago Bears, one - Pittsburgh Steelers) he's accumulated 7,780 pass yards, 61.1 percent completion, 45 touchdowns and 31 picks.
As a runner, he's impressed with 418 attempts, 2,509 rushing yards, a 6.0 average, and a 1,000-yard rushing season (1,143 - 2022). These metrics point to a quarterback that fits Shane Steichen's scheme well.
Justin Fields week 3 Highlights!
— The Standard (@TheStandard412) September 23, 2024
: @ZacharySmithPGH #NFL #Steelers
pic.twitter.com/e3M1RwANlH
Okada continues.
"He needs the right situation if he’s going to develop into a true franchise QB and not just a rush-package specialist." While the Colts have Richardson as the starter, he definitely hasn't secured the gig.
Fields has a market value of $6.4 million annually (Spotrac), which is worth the deal if it helps Richardson. The other reason to sign Fields is obvious, what if Richardson flops in year three and the Colts need to turn to another leader?
Fields can operate Steichen's offense, and the team wouldn't need to adjust to a pure pocket-passer like 2024 with Joe Flacco. It's understandable to see Field's numbers and be skeptical, but last year was arguably his most efficient.
With the Steelers, Fields finished 4-2 with 1,106 passing yards on a 65.8 percent clip (career-high) for five touchdowns and a lone pick. He also ran well, albeit less, for 289 yards, a 6.2 average, and struck pay dirt five times (10 total TDs).
It's an impactful signing for the Colts simply because they can't possibly think Richardson is 100-percent the answer quite yet. Indianapolis must be honest with itself and get the best possible competition going at QB.
This team has an ambiguous future, but they can't risk passing on situations that might secure it. Richardson can still be the otherworldly talent that Steichen needs and Chris Ballard envisioned.
Not everything with a raw 22-year-old QB pans out, nor does it happen overnight (or in this case, two seasons). There's nothing wrong with being as sure as possible by having Fields come in on a cheaper contract.
Either Richardson answers the pressure and rises to the occasion, or Fields can start again in the NFL with access to a solid O-Line, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce.
The Colts need to consider this move and likely have their eyes on Fields in some fashion.
Recommended Articles
More must-reads:
- Steelers HC Mike Tomlin expands on meeting with Aaron Rodgers amid uncertainty
- Insider questions Jets' Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor decision
- The 'NFL QBs with 2+ five passing touchdown games' quiz
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Browns Star Defender Receives Positive Injury Update
The future or Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been very much in doubt ever since he injured his neck in Week 8 of last season, attempting to tackle Ravens running back Derrick Henry. For the first time since the incident, though, the 2023 Pro Bowler received a slightly more positive injury update. Speaking at the NFL Owner's meetings down in Palm Beach, Fla., Browns general manager Andrew Berry revealed where things stand with JOK and for the first time, seemed to invoke some optimism about the situation. "He is progressing, which is a positive," said Berry. "I'll be honest, it is still a little bit nebulous in terms of what that timeframe looks like. So we really are trying to deal with it week-to-week and month-to-month." Based on the comments, it's clear that the 2021 second-round pick isn't out of the water yet. However, Berry's use of the word "progressing" and his more candid explanation of his recovery timeline is a far cry from what the organization has been saying about the standout linebacker. Previously, any questions about JOK received a very scripted response, revealing the team had no updates and that they would be provided at a more appropriate time. That's left many speculating that the 25-year-old's career could be in jeopardy. This latest response suggests that the door is still open for JOK to return to the field, however, he's clearly still a ways away from that reality. For now, the situation continues to be fluid.
Five overreactions to opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season
The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season is officially in the books. In the grand scheme of things, there are still 159 games left to play (158 for a select few). However, there's plenty of overreaction fodder in the aftermath of baseball's inaugural weekend, so let's break it down. The New York Yankees have MLB's best lineup and will slug their way back to the World Series There's no denying what the Yankees did to the Milwaukee Brewers this past weekend: 36 total runs scored, 15 home runs (including four just from Aaron Judge alone) against just 14 Milwaukee runs. A complete bludgeoning of a National League playoff team from a season ago. Overall, the Bronx Bombers lived up to the hype in their first series since Juan Soto's departure to Queens. But can they keep up this torrid hitting pace? Or will the magic of their new 'torpedo' bats fade over time? The Los Angeles Dodgers will easily defend their 2024 title Los Angeles became the first team to reach five wins on the early season after two consecutive sweeps of the Chicago Cubs in Japan and the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers should absolutely be considered the favorites once again in 2025 given their immense talent, but repeating is nevertheless a difficult feat: the last team to do so was the 2000 New York Yankees, who finished off a three-peat. The St. Louis Cardinals might be the best team in the NL Central It's three games into the season, but the Cardinals do in fact sit atop the NL Central division following their three-game dominance of the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium, their best start since 2006. That year, the Redbirds won it all. Another thing to note about that 2006 season: The Cardinals clinched the NL Central with just 83 victories. That may not be entirely out of the question in 2025 given how awful the rest of their rivals looked on opening weekend, but we'll still need to see more before getting serious about St. Louis. Boston Red Sox DH Rafael Devers will have his worst professional season to date Devers has endured a brutal beginning to his 2025 season, with 12 strikeouts in 16 at-bats, while going hitless over his first four games. Perhaps the transition to DH, which he initially opposed, is feeding on the All-Star's bruised ego. Nevertheless, this has been an unusual cold spell for the otherwise prolific hitter, who slugged 28 home runs with an .871 OPS in 2024. But history says to trust the 28-year-old third baseman, whose career .853 OPS suggests a bounce back at some point or another. In other words? He's simply too talented to stay this bad. The Atlanta Braves may not be able to dig out of their winless hole Being swept by the San Diego Padres isn't anything to be ashamed about, but it's still surprising how uncompetitive the Atlanta Braves looked out of the gate in 2025. Sure, Atlanta may not be fully healthy yet (Starter Spencer Strider and outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. are expected back around late April or early May), but this is still a stacked roster with high expectations. There really aren't many excuses for a slow start, but the Braves have more than earned the benefit of the doubt considering their surprise playoff run off an injury-riddled 2024 campaign. Honorable mention: The San Diego Padres are a legitimate contender They shut out the vaunted Braves lineup in two consecutive games en route to a four-game sweep. Talk about an early statement from a team whose only major offseason move was signing right-hander Nick Pivetta, who was excellent over seven scoreless innings in his season debut on Sunday night. If the Padres continue to punch above their weight, the National League playoff field may have gotten that much wider.
Men’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight winners, losers: It pays to be No. 1
The Final Four for the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament is set thanks to wins by Houston (69-50) over Tennessee, and Auburn (70-64) over Michigan State. Houston and Auburn now join Florida and Duke in this year's Final Four in San Antonio where they will play for the national championship. Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Sunday's Elite Eight action. Winner: No. 1 seeds For only the second time since the NCAA men's tournament expanded to 64 teams, the Final Four will feature all four No. 1 seeds. Florida and Duke took care of their business on Saturday, while Auburn and Houston did the same on Sunday. And there was very little doubt in either game on Sunday. Houston dominated Tennessee on its way to a 19-point win, while Auburn used a 17-0 first-half run against Michigan State to jump out to a huge first-half lead it would never give up. The 2008 tournament was the only other time all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. Loser: Tennessee's first half The Volunteers picked the absolute worst time of the season for their offense to abandon them, scoring just 15 points in the first half of Sunday's Elite Eight game against Houston. That 15-point performance was historically bad for a team seeded that high in the tournament. Even though they played Houston even in the second half (35-35), it is almost impossible to overcome a 15-point half against one of the best teams in the country. Winner: The SEC Even though Alabama and Tennessee fell short in the quest to give the conference all four teams in the Final Four, Auburn and Florida still gave the conference two teams, and with them set to face each other in the semifinals, it guarantees that at least one SEC team will be playing for the national championship. That is fitting for the conference that has dominated the season. Loser: The Big Ten The Big Ten got off to one of the best starts in the tournament through the first two rounds, but quickly saw its teams get knocked off as the tournament went on. So much so that not one team will be representing the conference in the Final Four. Tom Izzo's Michigan State team was the conference's last hope on Sunday, and it did not have enough to keep up with Auburn. Winner: KenPom ratings The KenPom ratings are not the end-all, be-all for evaluating college basketball teams, but they do give a pretty good indicator as to which teams are elite, which teams are contenders, and which teams are pretenders. That rating system could not have been more accurate this season as it correctly nailed the top-four (and arguably top-five) teams in the country. It does not always work out that perfectly for the analytics. It did this season in a very big way. At least for one season, the numbers did not lie at all.
Kevin Durant may have played his last game with Suns
Kevin Durant limped off the court roughly midway in the third quarter of his team's 148-109 loss to the Rockets on Sunday night. It may have been the last time Durant took the court as a member of the Suns. The 36-year-old has already been ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Bucks, and his availability for the rest of the three-game road trip is predicated on the results of his MRI for a left ankle sprain. With seven games left and the Suns nearly out of playoff contention, they may choose to shut down Durant. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins felt such a move would be best for both the Suns and Durant. "There's no reason to bring KD back," Perkins told ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday. "You can tell the energy is off, the spirit is off, they are so inconsistent," Perkins said of the 35-40 Suns. "This is a prime example of a team that plays individual basketball, this is not a team. They also have no leadership." If the Suns heed Perkins' advice, they may be preparing to bid adieu to Durant, whom they acquired at the 2023 trade deadline. According to multiple insiders, the Suns and Durant are expected to jointly work on finding the 15-time All-Star a new home this offseason. The Suns reportedly considered trading Durant at this year's deadline but nixed a deal due to his reluctance to move midway through a season. A lot was expected of the Suns when they acquired Durant from the Nets. It's fair to suggest the Durant era in Phoenix has been an unmitigated disaster that yielded subpar results. The Suns have had the highest payroll in the league since Durant's arrival but haven't enjoyed a suitable return on their investment. They reached the second round in the 2023 playoffs but were swept 4-0 by the Timberwolves in last year's first round. This year, they're close to being eliminated from play-in contention, let alone the playoffs. All signs point to Durant donning a new jersey in the 2025-26 season. The Timberwolves, Heat and Rockets have been tipped as the most interested suitors. Many have also urged the Thunder to reunite with Durant, especially if they falter in the upcoming playoffs.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
