The Indianapolis Colts are embarking on a new era in 2023. At some point, it is expected that Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will be taking over as the team’s starting quarterback.
Richardson is considered a raw prospect with plenty of development left to do. But, the sky’s the limit when it comes to his potential as he possesses a never before seen blend of size and athleticism.
The Florida product was setting records during the pre-draft process and NFL Combine with some of the numbers he was putting up in drills. The Colts are excited about what the future may hold, but in the present, there will be some bumpy roads.
Some analysts are projecting it to be very bumpy during the 2023 season. One person who is expecting there to be a lot of losing in Indianapolis this season is Nate Davis of USA Today. He recently released his 2023 win-loss projections for every team in the NFL and Davis has the Colts going 4-13.
“They’ve finally made a long-term investment under center with promising first-round QB Anthony Richardson, though he doesn’t come with nearly the amount of big-time college experience as Young or Stroud. Pessimism should morph into optimism in Indy in 2023 even if the standings don’t reflect much change. But expect the Colts to become tougher to deal with the more reps Richardson gets. And he should benefit from being paired with rookie HC Shane Steichen, who helped Hurts blossom into a superstar in 2022.”
A rookie/rookie pairing at head coach and quarterback is one that will present struggles in the early going but could bear fruit down the road. The Colts certainly hope so as Steichen has been excellent working with Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts previously. If he can develop Richardson in the same way, Indianapolis will be in business.
Not helping matters when it comes to their record projection is that running back Jonathan Taylor may not be in the mix. The best friend of a young quarterback is a strong running game and the Colts could be without that as their relationship with Taylor erodes by the day.
The only teams projected to have fewer wins than the Colts in 2023 are the Arizona Cardinals, with two, and the Las Vegas Raiders, with three. Indianapolis is projected to finish last in the AFC South, with the Jacksonville Jaguars winning for a second straight season.
