INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts continued OTAs on Friday, a gorgeous day on West 56th Street.
There are 100 days until the start of the NFL season. Before that, though, it's preseason. Head coach Shane Steichen said Friday the Colts will have joint practices with the Chicago Bears (in Indianapolis) and on the road with his old club, the Philadelphia Eagles, during that time.
"I just kind of think doing two different deals with two different teams is really good. The players enjoy it, the coaches enjoy it, and like I said, it kind of breaks up camp," Steichen said. "The competition is good and also just to see different looks. And does it help with the quarterback? Absolutely. You're seeing different front structures depending on who you're playing, different coverages on the back end, and different things that go into it. It definitely helps us as a football team, I believe."
Speaking of quarterbacks, Steichen likes the way Anthony Richardson has responded to making mistakes throughout OTAs.
"He's been good. You know, I think with anything, guys are going to make mistakes here and there, but you learn from them," Steichen said. "I think he's done a great job of learning from those mistakes and trying not to make those mistakes twice. He's had a great mindset."
Right tackle Braden Smith was back in action on Friday after a minor leg injury. He and second-year wide receiver Alec Pierce are impressed with what they've seen from Richardson so far.
"He's all in. I can see him every day. He's there early, he's in his iPad studying the plays. He has great attention to detail and just comes to work every day," Smith said. "I don't know what I expected from, like, a high first-round pick. I guess you could think that it could be a guy that might be a little cocky, but this guy is the complete opposite of that. Like I said, he's a blue-collar guy. He keeps his head down and he works."
"He's an incredible athlete," Pierce said. "The ball just flies off his hands. It's going to be exciting to see him develop and see what he can do."
The countdown to football season is officially on.
