Indianapolis Colts OC on Anthony Richardson: ‘Obvious we don’t have rookie anymore’

Anthony Richardson already was a raw quarterback when the Colts selected the former Florida star with the fourth pick of last year’s NFL Draft. Then he went down with a season-ending shoulder injury after only a month of play.

But maybe a season spent watching his Colts teammates, albeit while wearing a sling to protect his shoulder, will help Richardson in his second year. His coaches certainly think so. While he couldn’t learn while on the field, stuff like reading the safeties and identifying the blitzers, he could watch from the sidelines.

And from that spot, he could listen in on all the discussions between offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and quarterback Gardner Minshew. Coach Shane Steichen and Cooter also developed a routine for Richardson for the daily stuff, so he could stay close to the team.

It also was a continuation of what the Colts coaches did to prep Richardson to get him NFL ready. Steichen and Cooter looked everywhere for college plays, even ones run by high schools, that best utilized an athletic quarterback. Then they incorporated them into the Indy offensive play book to show off all of Richardson’s skills.

Steichen and Cooter did something similar when they coached Jalen Hurts when all there were with the Eagles. It’s why the Eagles playbook looked a lot like the one run by the Oklahoma Sooners.

So maybe Richardson was able to soak it all in, even with his throwing arm in a sling.

“It was important to give Anthony the best shot to continue learning as the year went on,” Cooter told Albert Breer with Sports Illustrated. “So that he could have a great shot to succeed this year. We tried to do that.”