AFC South Notes: Colts, Harris, Jaguars

Given a historically quick hook based on his draft status, Anthony Richardson has continued to struggle as a passer upon being reinserted into the Colts‘ lineup. He has only bumped his completion percentage up to 47.5, remaining on pace to become just the seventh QB to finish south of 50% (min. 200 attempts) this century. Still, Richardson has guided Indianapolis to two wins since returning.

The benching also came partially because of Richardson’s preparation issues. Adding more on that, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder indicates the Colts believed their quarterback needed to invest more time into his job. This was a bigger organizational concern than Richardson’s accuracy issues, Holder notes. The benching provided a wakeup call, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and Richardson’s literal wakeup calls have come earlier since. The QB, per Holder, is believed to be showing up at the facility around 5:30am to begin preparation.

Richardson may not be out of the woods yet regarding assurances the Colts stick with him in 2025. While the benching certainly garnered his attention, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the quarterback may well be tied to the fates of GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen. It would seem a bit unlikely Jim Irsay would fire Steichen if the team misses the playoffs, but Ballard is in Year 8 and would be 2-for-8 in postseason berths if the 6-7 Colts miss out this season. This nugget would point to a new GM not being tied to Richardson, which would place the raw talent on shakier ground. The Ballard-Steichen-Richardson trio still has four games to prove it deserves a third season together.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

• Richardson may soon have a Pro Bowl center snapping to him once again. Steichen said (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) Ryan Kelly will have a good chance of returning to practice before the Colts’ Week 15 game against the Broncos. Kelly landed on IR due to a knee injury, one that was not expected to be season-ending. With Kelly playing out an extension he signed in 2020, this Colts homestretch will be pivotal to his 2025 market. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler who would be a free agent — barring a deal before the legal tampering period — ahead of an age-32 season. The Colts have been a retention-heavy team under Ballard, but they have seen fourth-round rookie Tanor Bortolini hold his own in Kelly’s stead.
• Staying on the subject of IR returns, the Texans have been without linebacker Christian Harris all season. The AFC South leaders placed Harris on IR with a return designation August 27, devoting one of their injury activations to the third-year defender in advance. Harris, however, has lingered on IR (with a calf injury) since. But GM Nick Caserio pointed to a near-future return. Harris has not seen his practice window opened, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds that is likely to happen soon. With Azeez Al-Shaair appealing a three-game suspension, Houston could certainly use Harris — a 23-game starter from 2022-23 — back in action.
• Doug Pederson is following in Ron Rivera‘s footsteps as a second-chance HC playing out the string. The Jaguars are all but certain to fire the former Super Bowl-winning coach at season’s end. This will leave Pederson’s staff in limbo, and one of the staffers — running backs coach Jerry Mack — is getting out early. Kennesaw State hired Mack as head coach, the school announced. A former HC at North Carolina Central and RBs coach at Tennessee, Mack spent nearly 20 years in the college ranks before joining Pederson’s staff this year. The 44-year-old assistant will return to the college ranks months after arriving in Jacksonville.