All eyes during the Indianapolis Colts OTAs and minicamp were on quarterback Anthony Richardson. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is who Indianapolis is hoping can get the franchise back on track.
Richardson has some big shoes to fill as the last two franchise quarterbacks that the Colts committed to were Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. But, Richardson isn’t looking to emulate those players; he has a completely different skill set and will be looking to carve his own path out.
The first step toward accomplishing that was the offseason practices following the draft. The biggest area of weakness for the Florida product was his consistency and mechanics. Taking a look at his stats with the Gators certainly doesn’t paint the picture of a first-round pick, but he has tantalizing tools and potential.
While there is still plenty of work to do when it comes to honing his craft, Richardson was still turning some heads during minicamp. His imposing size and athleticism stood out, as linebacker Zaire Franklin was very impressed by what he saw.
“Even just in the walkthrough against him, it’s like, ‘OK, when [No.] 5’s in there, you’ve just got to be aware.’ It’s just like a whole other element to an offense that you don’t necessarily have to think about with more of a traditional quarterback.”
There is still a chance that Gardner Minshew opens up the season as the Colts’ starter in Week 1. He and Richardson are going to battle it out during training camp for the QB1 spot.
Even if Richardson begins his career as a backup, you can be sure that head coach Shane Steichen will find ways to get him on the field early and often. It would be no surprise if there are specific packages and play calls for him from Day 1 as the Colts should be taking advantage of his elite athleticism.
Should he still need to some work on his mechanics, Richardson will be able to make an impact right away as a runner. At the very least, expect him to be on the field for a few plays every week as the Colts will look to keep opponents on their toes, mixing him into the lineup for certain occasions.
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