Colts giving rookie QB Anthony Richardson ‘practically all’ of starter reps in training camp
Colts GM Chris Ballard has pumped the brakes on Anthony Richardson taking over right away since they took him with the No. 4 overall draft pick
The Indianapolis Colts seem ready to start quarterback Anthony Richardson right away this fall.
Richardson, whom the Colts took with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft in April, has been repeatedly taking all of the first-team reps at training camp this week. Though it’s early, Richardson sounds like he’s making quite the impression.
QB Anthony Richardson taking practically all the first team reps at Colts practice this morning — again.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 3, 2023
“His work ethic and his poise in the huddle, for a rookie, has impressed me a lot,” lineman Quenton Nelson said, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “The growth I’ve seen from OTAs 'till now, you could tell that in the offseason he was at home … studying, he was working on calling the plays and the huddle. I’m really happy with where he is at right now.”
On its surface, it makes sense that a team would start a player it used a top-five pick on right away. Richardson is, the Colts hope, the quarterback they can build around after losing Andrew Luck in 2019.
But with Richardson, there are, and have been, plenty of doubts.
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Richardson made just 13 career starts at Florida. He threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns last season with the Gators, who went 6-7 for a second straight season. Richardson was widely considered a late first-round pick out of college, yet an incredible showing at the NFL scouting combine helped his draft stock skyrocket.
Though team owner Jim Irsay was clear that Richardson “will start this season,” general manager Chris Ballard sounded much more patient on draft night.
“Let’s not expect him to be Superman from Day 1,” Ballard said.
Richardson, Ballard believes, is a much bigger long-term bet — something the Colts desperately need. Since Luck retired ahead of the 2019 season, the Colts have started seven different quarterbacks. They used Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger last season, when they went 4-12-1.
Like Ballard noted, it may take time to get Richardson to the level they think he’s capable of. But Ballard didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity and “watch him be a superstar somewhere else.”
“What we saw with Anthony was the upside of what we thought he can be going forward,” Ballard told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein last month. “Of course, you wish he started 30 games in college. He didn’t. But the upside of the kid, we just thought: ‘OK, if we’re going to bet on one, let’s bet on that one that we think we can really hit a home run with.’”
At least for now, still about a month out from their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it looks like the Colts are giving Richardson that chance right away.
