The Indianapolis Colts knew they were taking a major risk when they announced Anthony Richardson would be their starting quarterback out of the gates. The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is oozing with potential, but many considered him a raw prospect.
The best way for a young player to develop is with live reps, so without the expectations of competing for a championship and winning, it was a decision that made sense for the Colts. A rookie head coach with a rookie quarterback will have its bumps in the road as both are learning on the fly. But, Indianapolis has been competitive in the early going.
The Colts are currently 2-2 on the season, 1-2 in games Anthony Richardson starts. He missed Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens after being placed in the league’s concussion protocols when he self-reported a head injury and it was diagnosed as a concussion.
While there are some areas of improvement, such as his accuracy, as Anthony Richardson is completing only 56.9 percent of his passes, the immense potential is easy to see. He helped the Colts overcome a 23-0 deficit in the last quarter and a half of regulation against the Los Angeles Rams, but Indianapolis lost in overtime without the offense getting the ball.
That leadership ability, mixed with his never-before-seen combination of size and athleticism, has people in the football world excited for what’s to come. One former NFL executive who spoke to NFL Analysis Network put the NFL on notice about Anthony Richardson, making an extremely bold claim.
“We haven’t seen an athlete like Anthony Richardson at quarterback in quite some time. He has the running ability of Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, the arm strength of Brett Favre, and the leadership abilities of Tom Brady. The Colts are going to win a Super Bowl with him leading the way.”
When you play a video game and create a quarterback character, Anthony Richardson is the player you come away with. That is some very high praise for the executive to give him only three games into his professional career, but that is the kind of uniqueness he brings to the table.
Only the second quarterback to ever ace the athleticism portion of the NFL Combine, the sky’s the limit for Anthony Richardson. If Shane Steichen can have the same success coaching him that he had with Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts, the Colts are going to be winning a lot of football games for years to come.
