“’ENOUGH BABYING!’—Mad Dog’s Tirade on Colts’ Patience Sends First Take Spiraling, and Stephen A. Doesn’t Hold Back”

On a chaotic morning edition of First Take, the studio was crackling with the kind of combustible energy that only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo can deliver.

When the topic turned to Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard’s plea for patience regarding quarterback Anthony Richardson, Mad Dog didn’t just respond—he detonated.

The seasoned sports radio icon, already agitated by what he perceived as a growing trend of overprotecting young quarterbacks, took direct aim at Ballard, accusing the GM of “treating Richardson like he’s in Pop Warner instead of the National Football League. ”

Stephen A. Smith, no stranger to fireworks on set, found himself for once playing moderator, caught between Russo’s roaring outrage and the facts of a franchise still trying to rebuild.

Mad Dog didn’t waste time easing into his rant.

He slammed the table, raised his voice, and declared, “This is the NFL! You don’t get three years of excuses just because you can jump out of the gym or run a 4. 4 forty!” He criticized Ballard for “giving press conference lullabies” instead of being honest about Richardson’s injury-prone rookie year and the team’s urgent need to compete in a wide-open AFC South.

What especially irked Russo was the growing culture around what he sees as coddling quarterbacks before they’ve proven anything.

He pointed to examples like Justin Fields and Zach Wilson, saying that excuses did nothing to help their careers and in some cases, actively hurt development.

“You either got it or you don’t,” he shouted.

“And if you don’t, the league will find you out in two seconds!”

Stephen A. , trying to cool the temperature in the room, initially offered a measured counterpoint.

“Now hold on, hold on,” he said, raising his hand to halt the barrage.

“We’re talking about a young man who only played one year in college, came into the league raw, and then suffered injuries.

You want to talk about fairness? Let’s talk about circumstance. ”

But Russo wasn’t hearing it.

He snapped back, “I don’t care how raw he is—this is professional football, not a science fair project!”

The back-and-forth escalated from sharp disagreement to near shouting match.

Stephen A. , clearly flustered by the avalanche of rage coming from across the table, leaned back and muttered, “This is unbelievable.

We are actually arguing about giving a young, injured quarterback time to grow. ”

He then invoked names like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts as examples of QBs who needed development but became stars.

Mad Dog wasn’t moved.

“But Allen showed flashes! Hurts had maturity! Richardson? He’s barely played four games and we’re already handing him the franchise on a velvet pillow?”

As the debate raged on, Molly Qerim attempted to intervene, shifting focus to the pressure Ballard now faces.

“Isn’t some of this on the front office?” she asked, calmly but firmly.

“You’ve got a GM asking for time, but what about building the right environment so he doesn’t fail?” Her question cut through the noise briefly, forcing both pundits to pause.

Stephen A.

nodded in agreement.

“That’s real talk,” he said.

“Because if you don’t give Richardson an O-line, if you don’t protect him mentally and physically, it won’t matter how long you wait. ”

But Mad Dog wasn’t done.

He pivoted to the Colts organization as a whole, calling their post-Andrew Luck era “a carousel of mediocrity.

” He blasted the team’s lack of identity, their revolving door of quarterbacks, and what he sees as a fanbase being strung along with empty promises.

“The Colts are always in rebuilding mode,” he growled.

“And now they’re trying to convince us this guy is the next Mahomes if we just cross our fingers long enough?”

Stephen A. , now fully engaged and matching Mad Dog’s energy, fired back.

“Ain’t nobody saying he’s Mahomes! But let’s not pretend like this kid ain’t special.

You’ve seen the arm, you’ve seen the legs.

The potential is there, but potential needs time. ”

Russo scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.

“You know what else has potential? A lottery ticket.

Good luck cashing it. ”

The segment, intended to be a ten-minute dive into the state of the Colts, stretched far beyond its slot as the two legends refused to back down.

Fans online were split.

Some praised Russo’s fire and accountability-driven mindset, while others sided with Stephen A. , arguing that young quarterbacks in today’s NFL face more scrutiny and pressure than ever before.

Clips of the exchange went viral within minutes, with hashtags like #MadDogVsStephenA and #RichardsonDebate trending across platforms.

By the end of the segment, Stephen A.

gave a final word that tried to strike a middle ground.

“Look, I respect your passion,” he said to Russo, “but I’m telling you, this kid deserves a real chance.

And if the Colts finally get it right around him, we might be talking about a problem in the AFC for years to come. ”

Mad Dog crossed his arms and nodded—barely.

“We’ll see,” he muttered.

One thing was clear.

Whether or not Anthony Richardson lives up to the lofty expectations, he’s already become a lightning rod for a much larger debate about quarterback development in the NFL.

And if today’s episode was any indication, the chaos surrounding him isn’t quieting down anytime soon.