Author

admin

Browsing

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has called on the FBI to conduct a counterintelligence threat assessment on the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Schumer said on the Senate floor on Tuesday that the FBI assessment should accomplish three things: determine if foreign intelligence agencies could gain access to the information ‘the president does not want to release in the Epstein files, through methods that include cyber intrusion;’ identify any vulnerabilities that could be exploited by foreign intelligence agencies with access to non-public information in the Epstein files, ‘including being able to gain leverage over Donald Trump, his family, or other senior government officials;’ and result in the FBI publicly showing that the bureau is ‘developing mitigation strategies to counter these threats and safeguard our national security.’ 

At his weekly Democratic leadership press conference afterward, Schumer condemned what he categorized as the Epstein ‘cover-up,’ further taking aim at President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

‘Trump promised he’d release the Epstein files while he was on the campaign trail, yet he has yet to do it,’ Schumer told reporters. ‘Speaker Johnson quite literally preferred to shut down Congress, sending everyone home on an Epstein recess to avoid the topic. Americans are right to be angry over the lack of transparency, but there are also some very real questions about risks to national security.’

‘Given Trump’s total about-face on releasing files and given what we know from the FBI whistleblowers, it’s natural to ask, what happens if our adversaries use cyberattacks and other means to access files and materials into Epstein that are damaging or worse for President Trump and or those around him?’ Schumer continued. ‘What happens if the Epstein files end up in the hands of Russia or North Korea, or Chinese governments? Unless the Epstein files are fully released to the public, could our adversaries use that, Epstein, to use that information to blackmail someone like the president? 

Last Thursday, Schumer noted, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services were among several government agencies hacked as part of a breach to Microsoft SharePoint system. 

‘This was confirmed that it was Chinese actors. So we don’t need this happening again,’ Schumer said. ‘We have to ensure that it can’t happen. National security is not and should never be a partisan issue. We need to do everything we can to make sure we protecting the U.S. and American families. This report is vital in doing that. Beyond that, there is one more thing Donald Trump could do to quell people’s anger, confusion, frustration, and/or deep fears. That is, release the files.’ 

Last week, Johnson ended the House legislative session a day early, averting a potential vote on a resolution by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that would have compelled the Justice Department and the FBI to release the Epstein files. Johnson asserted on Sunday that House Republicans supported ‘maximum disclosure’ but argued that the resolution was ‘reckless’ and poorly drafted, arguing that it ignored federal rules protecting grand jury materials and ‘would require the DOJ and FBI to release information that they know is false, that is based on lies and rumors and was not even credible enough to be entered into the court proceedings.’ 

Johnson said he supported the Trump administration’s stance that ‘all credible evidence and information’ be released, but emphasized the need for safeguards to protect victims’ identities.

During a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday, Trump was asked why he kicked Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida, years ago. 

‘That’s such old history. Very easy to explain, but I don’t want to waste your time by explaining it. But for years, I wouldn’t talk to Jeffrey Epstein. I wouldn’t talk because he did something that was inappropriate,’ Trump told reporters. ‘He hired help, and I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata. I threw him out and that was it.’ 

Trump said he turned down an invitation to Epstein’s notorious island in the Caribbean and claimed former President Bill Clinton and former Harvard University President Larry Summers had gone. 

‘I never went to the island and Bill Clinton went there, supposedly 28 times. I never went to the island, but Larry Summers, I hear, went there. He was the head of Harvard and many other people that are very big people. Nobody ever talks about them,’ Trump said. ‘I never had the privilege of going to his island. And I did turn it down. But a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island. In one of my very good moments, I turned it down.’ 

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Longtime Democratic operative Steve Ricchetti is appearing before House investigators on Wednesday, the seventh former White House aide to be summoned for Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s probe.

Ricchetti most recently served as counselor to President Joe Biden during the vast majority of the Biden White House’s four-year term.

He’s now expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee staff for a closed-door transcribed interview that could last several hours.

Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

Ricchetti first began working for Biden in 2012, when he was appointed as counselor to the vice president during the Obama administration. He was soon promoted to Biden’s chief of staff in late 2013.

Ricchetti, who made a living as both a lobbyist and a Democratic insider, chaired Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign as well.

The committee’s interest in him, however, lies in his alleged key role in managing the White House while aides reportedly worked to obscure signs of the president’s mental decline.

‘As Counselor to former President Biden, you served as one of his closest advisors. According to a report, you were part of a group of insiders who implemented a strategy to minimize ‘the president’s age-related struggles,’’ Comer wrote to Ricchetti in June, referencing a Wall Street Journal report.

‘The scope and details of that strategy cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition—or to perform his duties—Congress may need to consider a legislative response.’

Axios reporter Alex Thompson, who co-wrote ‘Original Sin’ with CNN host Jake Tapper about Biden’s cognitive decline and his aides’ alleged attempts to cover it up, told PBS program Washington Week earlier this year that Ricchetti was part of a small group of insiders that some dubbed Biden’s ‘Politburo.’

He also played a key role in Biden’s legislative agenda, most notably as one of the Democratic negotiators working with then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to avoid a full-blown fiscal crisis over the U.S. national debt in early 2023.

It comes after another close former aide, former White House Chief of Staff Ronald Klain, appeared before investigators for his own transcribed interview last week.

Like Klain, Ricchetti is appearing on voluntary terms—the fourth former Biden aide to do so.

Three of the previous six Biden administration officials who appeared before the House Oversight Committee did so under subpoena. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor, as well as former advisers Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, all pleaded the Fifth Amendment during their compulsory sit-downs.

But the three voluntary transcribed interviews that have occurred so far have lasted more than five hours, as staff for both Democrats and Republicans take turns in rounds of questioning.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he may skip the G20 summit in South Africa in November over the nation’s ‘very bad policies,’ and instead send someone else to represent the United States.

Trump made the remarks aboard Air Force One in response to a reporter’s question as he returned from a trip to Scotland, where the president achieved a massive trade deal with the European Union.

‘I think maybe I’ll send somebody else because I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa,’ Trump said. ‘They have some very bad policies.’

‘Very, very bad policies, like policies where people are being killed,’ Trump added.

In May, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House with news clippings and a video allegedly showing grave treatment of White farmers.

Trump has claimed that White Afrikaner South African farmers are being slaughtered and forced off their land. The Afrikaners are descendants of mostly Dutch settlers who first arrived in South Africa in 1652. 

South Africa and its president have denied claims of genocide and harassment. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio already boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa earlier this year over the government’s controversial land seizure policy.

Both the Trump and former Biden administrations have also criticized South Africa after the nation accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and brought a case to the International Court of Justice.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. was pulled from Tuesday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals after experiencing ‘right Achilles tightness,’ the team said.

He will be going on the 10-day injured list, according to reporters on the scene. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that Acuna was wearing a walking boot and that he ‘held back tears’ while talking with reporters after the game.

Acuna told reporters he will likely have an MRI on Wednesday.

The right fielder was lifted during the bottom of the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium, shortly after he appeared to be hampered trying to get to a pair of balls hit in the air. The latter play resulted in a ground-rule double for Vinnie Pasquantino that moved the Royals’ advantage to 9-3.

Eli White came in to replace Acuna, who lightly jogged off the field.

Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, entered Wednesday’s game batting .309 on the season with a .430 on-base percentage, both the best marks on the Braves. He has appeared in 54 games.

The Royals held on for a 9-6 win to improve to 53-55. The Braves fell to 45-61.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Cincinnati Bengals finally came to terms with top draft pick Shemar Stewart on a deal to end the rookie edge rusher’s holdout.

Four days later, the franchise is one step closer to welcoming the top sack artist in the NFL back to the fold.

Trey Hendrickson is ending his holdout and will report to Bengals training camp, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. This comes a week after the Bengals’ veterans reported to training camp on July 22.

Hendrickson is entering the final year of his contract and had not reported to training camp as he was seeking out a new deal. One week ago, Hendrickson had called the Bengals’ latest offer ‘atrociously low’ and did not seem any closer to ending his holdout.

Hendrickson is set to make $16 million in 2025 in the final year of an extension he signed two years ago. Since signing that extension, he has led the NFL in sacks with 35, including a league-high 17.5 in 2024. He finished runner-up to Patrick Surtain II for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The most productive player on the Bengals’ defense in recent years is entering his age-31 season after making the Pro Bowl each of the last four seasons.

‘Trey Hendrickson is a fine player and a good guy,’ Bengals owner Mike Brown said on July 21. ‘We want him here. Dealing with him is sometimes not so easy. That’s all right. He’s got the right to argue his case, we’ll try to make sense of it from our perspective … as far as I’m concerned, the sooner the better.’

Brown reiterated that the team is not interested in trading Hendrickson away.

‘We are working on getting it done,’ Brown said. ‘We’ve been through a few — and he pushes hard, he gets emotional. We never have an easy time of it. And if there’s one thing that is consistent, it always gets done. I think this one will too.”

Many other edge rushers — including some in his own division — have signed extensions this offseason, including Myles Garrett (Cleveland) and T.J. Watt (Pittsburgh). Those two deals reset the market for edge rushers and at an average annual value (AAV) of $40 million and $41 million, respectively, per OverTheCap.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Indiana Fever are riding a two-game win streak after defeating the Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky, but the Fever will face a major test on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury without All-Star guard Caitlin Clark.

Clark has been ruled out of Wednesday’s contest against the Mercury, marking the fifth consecutive game she’s missed due to a right groin injury suffered in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. Clark’s medical evaluations confirmed there’s ‘no additional injuries or damage,’ but the Fever said they will be cautious with Clark to ensure she’s ready to go later in the season and in the playoffs.

There’s no timetable for her return. Here’s everything you need to know about Clark’s injury status:

Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Injury status for Fever-Mercury

No. Clark was ruled out of the Fever’s matchup against the Mercury with a right groin injury.

How many games has Caitlin Clark missed this season?

The injury bug has been Clark’s biggest nemesis this season, forcing her to miss 13 of the Fever’s 26 games in her sophomore campaign, a career-high for Clark. The Fever (14-12) have gone 6-7 this season without the 2024 Rookie of the Year, but remain in playoff contention in sixth place in the standings.

Wednesday will mark the 14th regular-season game Clark has missed this season due to injury. Clark was previously sidelined five games due to a left quad injury and four games with a left groin injury. She also missed the Fever’s Commissioner’s Cup win over the Minnesota Lynx on July 1, in addition to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and the 3-point competition held in Indianapolis.

How was Caitlin Clark injured?

Clark suffered the right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston on July 15. With 39.1 seconds remaining in the contest, Clark completed a bounce pass to Kelsey Mitchell to put the Fever up 84-75. After the pass, Clark immediately grabbed for her right groin and grimaced as she gingerly walked over to a stanchion, which she headbutted. She did not return to the game. 

The injury happened days before the Fever were set to host the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Clark was voted a team captain and drafted her own team, but she ultimately pulled out of the All-Star Game and 3-point contest due to injuries, stating, ‘I have to rest my body.’

When will Caitlin Clark play again?

It’s not clear when Clark will make her return, but Fever head coach Stephanie White said the WNBA’s rigorous schedule is not helping the timeline.

‘I always think the WNBA season is like this sprint marathon,’ White said on Sunday. ‘You see more injuries when you don’t have a chance to recover, but it’s not like individual teams are the only ones that deal with it. This is a league-wide, collective issue. The NBA has a similar cadence, but they’ve got 30 teams and there’s not quite as much crisscrossing time zones and crisscrossing the country. So, it’s the challenge of the footprint of our schedule.’

The Fever start a four-game road trip on Friday and will travel to Dallas (Aug. 1), Seattle (Aug. 3), Los Angeles (Aug. 5) and Phoenix (Aug. 7) in the span of a week.

Caitlin Clark stats

Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and a career-high 8.8 assists in 13 games this season. Her assists average is the second-highest in the league, behind Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas (9.4).

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

From Gaza to Greenland, French President Emmanuel Macron appears to be taking increasingly bolder diplomatic stabs at President Donald Trump’s foreign policy even though such gestures don’t ‘carry weight’ as Trump pointed out last week after the French leader declared his intention to recognize a Palestinian state.

‘French Presidents from Charles de Gaulle onwards have reveled in the idea that they are a natural counterweight to U.S. foreign policy on the international stage,’ Alan Mendoza, executive director of the U.K.-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital Monday.

Charles de Gaulle was France’s long-serving leader in the 1950s and 1960s and was famously resistant to U.S. global dominance, withdrawing his country from NATO’s military command structure in a bid to increase its military independence and criticizing U.S. policies in Eastern Europe and Vietnam.

Such contrarian actions, Mendoza said, ‘have in many ways defined the French Fifth Republic, with larger-than-life characters thrusting their views onto the world stage.

‘The difference now is that France matters far less globally than it did 60 years ago,’ he said, adding that a weakening of the European country’s economy and its military might ‘means that where once de Gaulle could roar, now Macron whimpers.’ 

‘What was once a sign of French strength and confidence now therefore looks more like a desperate attempt to escape irrelevance,’ said Mendoza.

In a dramatic announcement last week, Macron said that at the United Nations General Assembly in September France intends to declare its recognition of a Palestinian state, even as Palestinian terror groups continue to battle Israel in the Gaza Strip. 

The statement drew condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said such a move ‘rewards terror.’ 

It was also criticized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called the decision ‘reckless’ and ‘a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.’ He said the U.S. strongly rejected such a plan. 

Trump merely dismissed Macron’s Gaza move, telling reporters at the White House Friday ‘what he says doesn’t matter.’ 

‘He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,’ the president said.

This is not the first time the president has discounted Macron as inconsequential.

Last month, after the French president speculated about Trump’s reasons for leaving the G7 summit in Canada early and returning to Washington, the president wrote on his Truth Social platform, ‘Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!’ 

In the same post, Trump said Macron was ‘publicity seeking.’ 

The disparaging comments came after Macron directly contradicted Trump’s foreign policy by stopping on his way to the summit in the semi-autonomous Arctic territory of Greenland, which Trump has said he wishes to acquire. 

‘Greenland is not to be sold, not to be taken,’ Macron declared in a diplomatic stab at Trump’s foreign policy and seemingly an attempt to rally support from other European countries to stand up to the U.S. 

Asked about Trump’s ambitions for Greenland, Macron, according to Reuters, said, ‘I don’t think that’s what allies do. …  It’s important that Denmark and the Europeans commit themselves to this territory, which has very high strategic stakes and whose territorial integrity must be respected.’

In February, the French president paid his first visit to the White House since Trump’s return to power, and while the meeting appeared to be warm, it also came amid tension over the U.S. approach to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Hours before the meeting, the U.S. voted against a United Nations resolution drafted by Ukraine and the European Union condemning Russia for its invasion.

Tensions between Macron and Trump are not personal, said Mendoza, but they are also not totally ideological. 

They stem from Macron’s ‘desire to be relevant and to stand for something,’ he said. ‘The French are famous contrarians, but they do it for the sake of being contrarian.’

Reuel Marc Gerecht, a resident scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Washington, D.C., think tank, said Macron was no ‘different from most European leaders. … Trump just isn’t their cup of tea.’

‘Most view Trump as a convulsive, hostile force who views America’s historic relationship with Europe as transactional,’ he said.  

‘Macron, like most French leaders, defines himself in part against the U.S.,’ Gerecht added, explaining that, traditionally, France and America ‘had a ‘mission civilisatrice’ or a competitive enlightenment mission.’ 

‘The American way has been enormously appealing in Europe since World War II, but it has come in part at the expense of the French, who have culturally lost a lot of ground to the Anglophones, especially the Americans,’ he said. ‘Consequently, many Frenchmen have a love-hate relationship with the U.S.’   

On Macron, Gerecht added, ‘He is part of the French elite. They are a bright lot who punch way above their weight, but, educationally, temperamentally, they are nearly the opposite of Trump.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

  • Daniel Jones reflected on his six seasons with the New York Giants, saying he was ‘disappointed as a competitor’ with how his time there ended.
  • Jones’s tenure with the Giants was marked by inconsistent performance and roster challenges, culminating in his release after a 2-8 start in 2024.
  • Jones is now competing for the starting quarterback position against Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts.

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Years in the New York media market will make a man more than proficient in the use of cliches, especially if that person has a particular rocky tenure as quarterback of the New York Giants. 

By the time he reached the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, Daniel Jones had dusted off more than his fair share of cliches to keep the microphones moving and the airwaves filled. And it’s actually his main takeaway from his Giants tenure. 

“There’s specific, down to the smallest detail, and things that you’ll carry with you,” Jones said to a small group of reporters Tuesday, July 29 after being asked what he took away the most from his time in New York. “Generally, I think just smart decision-making and accuracy is what wins football games at the quarterback position. So just being continuously committed and relentless with a good decision-making process … I think all the cliches you hear as a quarterback, that is what wins games. I think I definitely experienced that in New York.” 

Of course, it’s more complicated than that. Jones was the franchise’s first-round pick (sixth overall) out of Duke in 2018, the heir apparent to franchise legend and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. He was the victim of poor roster construction and coaching for the first three years of his career and rarely did himself any favors to mitigate those hindrances. 

But the Giants went 9-6-1 in 2022, the first season of coach Brian Daboll’s tenure, with Jones having by far his most complete season in the NFL. The next season featured regression and a season-ending ACL injury that impacted his preparation for the 2024 season. 

After a 2-8 start to the season, the Giants benched Jones. Later that week, the team agreed to release Jones, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings for the remainder of the season as an emergency quarterback option. 

“Obviously you’re disappointed as a competitor, a place I was drafted, had a great opportunity,” Jones said. “Some great times, but obviously not enough there at the end.” 

His time with Minnesota and head coach Kevin O’Connell, highly regarded for his work with quarterbacks as a former NFL backup himself, was valuable. Jones found himself impressed with the level of detail and particularity that goes into quarterbacks’ game plans.  

“Their process is very meticulous throughout the week,” Jones said. “They’re checking all the boxes and going through every look – walking through it, talking through it. Just a high, high level of detail and preparation.” 

It’s something he has taken to Indianapolis, where he finds himself in a starting quarterback battle against another former high first-round pick in Anthony Richardson. 

“Excited for the next step,” Jones said, “and to come here and work with these guys.”

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio left Tuesday night’s 9-3 win against the Chicago Cubs with a right hamstring spasm, the team announced.

Chourio hurt his hamstring legging out a triple in the fifth inning at American Family Field. He cruised into third base standing up on the play, but then reached for his hamstrings. After getting checked out by Brewers manager Pat Murphy and the team’s trainer, Chourio was pulled from the game and replaced by Blake Perkins.

‘My leg is a touch tight, but I feel good,’ Chourio said through an interpreter after the game. The Brewers’ 21-year-old emerging star player said he felt what he described as a ‘little tickle’ while accelerating from second to third base.

Murphy said that the team is in ‘wait and see’ mode in relation to Jackson’s hamstring, and won’t speculate on what the hamstring spasm could mean for the outfielder’s availability moving forward.

Jackson had a 20-game hitting streak snapped in Monday night’s 8-4 win over the division rival Cubs.

Jackson Chourio stats

Chourio’s 20-game hitting streak — one of the longest in team history — gave his season batting average a healthy boost, which now sits at .276. During the streak, Chourio hit .392 and had four home runs. Chourio is second on the team with 17 home runs, and has 67 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases on the season.

In his rookie season in 2024, Chourio hit .275 with 21 home runs, 79 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting behind Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill.

Brewers outfield depth chart

If Chourio were to miss playing time, Perkins — Chourio’s replacement on Tuesday night — likely would become the team’s regular center fielder in the interim. Isaac Collins has been the Brewers’ primary left fielder — with Christian Yelich also playing in that spot. Sal Frelick is the team’s regular right fielder.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

  • Colts QB Anthony Richardson took responsibility for his poor performance during the 2024 season, saying ‘I didn’t do enough.’
  • Richardson’s completion percentage of 47.7% was last among qualified quarterbacks, prompting an offseason focus on improving his footwork and mechanics.
  • Richardson is also deepening his understanding of the Colts’ offense to better anticipate receiver routes and improve decision-making.

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Anthony Richardson, figuratively, pointed the finger right at himself. 

Reflecting on his dramatic 2024 season that included multiple injuries and a benching that came on the heels of some brutal optics, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback is all about accountability now. 

“I didn’t do enough. That was really my big thing, for me. I didn’t do enough,” Richardson told a small group of reporters Tuesday, July 29. “I wanted to take a deeper dive into understanding myself and what I needed to improve on. After the last game, whenever that was, I just told myself ‘I can’t be slacking anymore. I got to lock in.’” 

Richardson was inefficient during the early stretch of the Colts’ 2024 season, when he started six of the first eight games but missed two with an oblique injury. In a Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans, he asked to sit out a third-down play, which rubbed everyone from the locker room to pundits on television the wrong way and made Richardson a talking point for all of the wrong reasons. 

“Life is humbling,” said Richardson, who turned 23 in May. 

He finished the season with a 47.7% completion percentage, which ranked last among the 36 qualified quarterbacks who played in 2024. No other quarterback completed less than 60% of his throws.

That prompted him to recommit to his footwork this offseason. He noticed the sloppiness last year. Correcting the issue in-season would have been too difficult, so he talked about it with his trainer, Dr. Tom Gorley.

“The biggest thing for me is just my mechanics, my base,” Richardson said. 

The goal is to not be too narrow with his feet, Richardson said. That’s when he misses high and overthrows his receivers. With a wider base, he can keep his arm on the proper plane and drive the ball to its proper trajectory. Repping the wide base and not specific drills. Is conscious about it during warmups to set the tone mentally. 

Through the first week of camp, Richardson said he feels more in control of the football. But that’s also come from taking a deeper dive into the offense – knowing where people are supposed to be is the precursor to properly setting his feet. 

As for his shoulder, which cost him the last 13 games of his rookie season in 2023, Richardson said the injury that lingered during OTAs is not a concern. The pain would linger after lengthy throwing sessions, and even though he felt like he was ready to go, the Colts’ training staff wanted to let the issue calm down by itself. The Colts tracked Richardson’s reps during the first week of training camp, which featured four consecutive practice days, but it’s “back to (the) normal schedule now,” Richardson said. 

Knowing exactly when the receiver will break open so that the ball will be there is another way to improve accuracy for Richardson. 

“Now I feel like I’m trying to master (the offense),” said Richardson, who added that he wants to be able to teach Shane Steichen’s scheme if the coach asked him to do so. “Understanding what’s going to be available in certain coverages … trying to find answers, trying to find certain ways to beat that.” 

During Richardson’s rookie year, the staff told him to draw 10 to 15 route concepts on his iPad (the Goodnotes app, specifically) at night and show them the next morning. He said he’s been looking back at his old notes to try to understand what he didn’t then. He’ll play out different coverage scenarios such as “Who will be open if they play Cover 0?” 

Entering this season, Richardson knew he needed to improve as a leader. What does that look like to him? 

“For one, extreme ownership, even if things aren’t going the right way, even if it’s not quote unquote ‘my fault,’ it is my fault. Because I am the leader. I am the quarterback,” Richardson said. “If I’m not doing my job, then I can’t expect everybody else to do their job. So just taking accountability for everything that’s going on. 

“If I expect so much out of myself, then that only brings my teammates up to my level. I’m just trying to get everybody to that level.” 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY