Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter gave his early impressions of rookie QB Anthony Richardson. “I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders. Kind of sees and understands what’s going on around him at a pretty high level,” Cooter said. “I’ve been really impressed with him just dealing with him in meeting rooms and different situations that we all encounter each other in. So (he) just has had a good way about him handling this stuff." Cooter believes Richardson’s experience at Florida will prepare him for life in Indianapolis. “Shoot, playing quarterback in the NFL, you’re usually going to have your ups and your downs. You’re usually going to have some criticism and some praise. I think that’s a really good trait to walk in the door with, the ability to handle what’s coming at you and have a good mindset about it, and I think Anthony’s done a nice job of that so far, at least in my eyes.” Richardson remains the favorite to start at least a majority of the games for Indy in 2023. Looking at fantasy PPG, he projects as a fringe top-15 QB.
Colts owner Jim Irsay told NFL.com's Judy Battista that QB Anthony Richardson will start games this season. It's fair to wonder how much knowledge or input Irsay actually has on this. As the team owner, he shouldn't really be involved with on-field decisions. And he certainly doesn't tend to hold back with his public comments. But QBs chosen early in Round 1 historically are likely to take over the starting job at some point in Year 1 -- most commonly before mid-season. Many evaluators think Richardson will need more development time than Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. But there are others who believe he's much closer to ready. Indy signed QB Gardner Minshew for just $3.5 million on a one-year deal in free agency. That's light even for a backup at this point. So they clearly didn't sign Minshew intending to have him start for a year. We already have Richardson projected to start more than half his rookie season in our 2023 fantasy football QB rankings. And we'll be watching his offseason closely. His rushing ability makes the upside enormous.
Here's what HC Shane Steichen had to say about QB Anthony Richardson's development shortly after the Colts took him with the fourth overall pick on Thursday night: "I think the development of players comes with more experience... I think when you play more, that's how you develop... practice reps, game reps, I think that's how you develop." That sure doesn't sound like the Colts are planning to keep the relatively inexperienced Richardson on the sidelines for long. Indianapolis does have a capable veteran in QB Gardner Minshew, who might still be the favorite to open the season under center. But we're expecting to see plenty of Richardson this year. Our initial projections have him playing 11 games.
The Colts selected Florida QB Anthony Richardson with the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Richardson tested as the most athletic QB in NFL Combine history. A 4.43 forty-time, a 40.5-inch vertical, and a 129-inch broad jump are simply incredible. At 6’4, and 244 pounds, Richardson’s dynamic speed/power combo showed up at Florida. The 21-year-old tallied 654 rushing yards and 9 TDs in his one season as a starter. Inexperience is part of the problem here. But Richardson needs to kick durability concerns after suffering knee, ankle, and hamstring injuries in college. He also needs to show more down-to-down consistency — especially in the short to intermediate ranges. Ultimately, we see the 21-year-old improving over time. With elite rushing ability and plenty of arm talent, Richardson has the high-upside profile you should chase in rookie drafts. Landing on the Colts also turns up a nice schematic fit with HC Shane Steichen, who helped develop Jalen Hurts. Indy added Gardner Minshew this offseason, so the Colts don’t have to rush Richardson on the field. Current projections have the rookie for 11 games.
As expected, QB Anthony Richardson tested as an elite athlete at the NFL Combine. In fact, the Florida product set QB Combine records with a 40.5” vertical and a 10’9” broad jump. He added a ridiculous 4.43-second (official) 40-yard dash…at 6’4, 244 pounds. Insane. While his accuracy turns up as spotty on film, it’d be a shock if he’s not a top-10 pick come April.
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