Indianapolis Colts

cross-posted from: https://fanaticus.social/post/263753

It took just one quarter of preseason action for Anthony Richardson to solidify himself as the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback. Richardson, this year's fourth overall draft pick, will be the Colts' starter this season, coach Shane Steichen announced Tuesday. The news comes days after Richardson's preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Richardson never saw it coming.

"Honestly, I was shocked," he said. Richardson had been in a competition with veteran Gardner Minshew, but now that a decision on a starter has been reached, the Colts can dig into their preparation and tailor their offense to their new franchise quarterback.

cross-posted from: https://fanaticus.social/post/229491

Former Clemson receiver Amari Rodgers is getting another shot in the NFL. Rodgers has signed with the Indianapolis Colts, the franchise announced on Wednesday.

To make room for Rodgers, the Colts cut Johnny King. King signed with the Colts in May out of Southeast Missouri State.

Rodgers joins the Colts after playing in 32 games, with two starts, so far in his NFL career. The 23-year-old was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Rodgers spent the 2021 season with the Packers and part of the 2022 season in Green Bay, before being cut.

cross-posted from: https://fanaticus.social/post/223370

Colts owner Jim Irsay, when asked later Saturday about the trade request, told ESPN the team would not trade Taylor. "We will not trade Jonathan Taylor," Irsay said. "That is a certainty. Not now or not in October." Speaking of Taylor earlier this week, Irsay told ESPN, 'When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid."

cross-posted from: https://fanaticus.social/post/219703

Irsay on Wednesday took aim at statements made by Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris, who said the league's top running backs were discussing, among other things, the idea of altering the way salaries of franchise-tagged players are determined so that elite backs earn more money. Irsay balked at the idea, saying "some agents are selling bad faith.”

But the ill-timed comment was made in the midst of Taylor's increasingly impatient search for a new deal, prompting an angry reply from Taylor's agent. "The comment wasn't really directed at Jonathan,” Irsay said in a phone interview with ESPN. "We haven't exchanged any contract numbers with each other or anything like that. So, it's not like we're in the midst of that. I think we had a tough season last year. Didn't win a lot of games. This is a year about coming back together and having a great year and we're really depending on Jonathan to team up with [quarterback] Anthony Richardson to try and pull together to have a great year."

Taylor — who led the NFL in rushing with 1,811 yards in 2021 — is scheduled to earn $4.304 million this season. That ranks 18th among running back salaries in 2023. Taylor, who Tuesday was placed on the physically unable to perform list after offseason ankle surgery, has not commented since making his displeasure known last month. His agent, Malki Kawa, declined comment Thursday but spoke to Taylor's frustrations by replying to Irsay's tweet, "Bad faith is not paying your top offensive player." And Thursday, in a reply to a tweet about the possibility of mending the relationship between Taylor and the Colts, Kawa simply wrote, "I doubt it."