It’s a sight all Colts fans, everywhere, want to see. Anthony Richardson will be out on the practice field, throwing to his teammates.
If you’ll remember, Indianapolis drafted the super athletic, but raw Richardson this time a year ago with the fourth pick of the NFL Draft. Richardson, the former Florida Gator, showed some brilliance early last season. But then injuries took over his rookie story. Richardson, who earned a starting job for the Colts, suffered a concussion then a shoulder injury.
Surgery finally ended his season. But seven months later, he’s healthy.
“He’s in a really good spot,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters about Richardson’s status. “Had really good discussions that I’ll obviously keep private, but he’s in a really good spot. Shoulder is feeling good. Should be good to go for practices like we talked about earlier. He’ll be out there throwing, but we’ll limit. We’ll obviously monitor it, makes sure we’re smart with that, but he’s in a really good place.”
Similar to this year, quarterbacks were all the talk about the 2023 NFL Draft. Bryce Young went No. 1 to the Panthers. Then the Texans selected C.J. Stroud, the eventual NFL Rookie of the Year. Drafting fourth, the Colts opted for Richardson, who turned heads with his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was a taller, bigger version of Lamar Jackson. At 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, was built to withstand hits from a defensive end. Plus, he could outrun safeties. In fact, his combine performance rivaled the best from the receivers or cornerbacks.
The only knock against Richardson was his lack of on-field experience. He had started only 13 games at Florida. But Richardson looked in command as he took over the Colts offense. However, in game five, he sprained his AC joint. Two weeks later, he underwent shoulder surgery, which ended his season.
The Colts’ season wasn’t lost. With Gardner Minshew under center, Indy played for the AFC South title in the season finale. But the Colts lost to Stroud and the Texans. Minshew signed with the Raiders in free agency. Meanwhile, Indianapolis signed Joe Flacco, who enjoyed a career resurgence with the Browns last fall as he filled in for injured quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The AFC South is evolving into one of the most competitive divisions int he NFL. And the starting quarterbacks are all young and talented. Trevor Lawrence with the Jaguars is the old man of the crew. He was the No. 1 pick of the 2021 Draft. There’s Stroud and Richardson, who were elite picks in 2023. Then there’s Will Levis with the Titans. Levis was projected as a first rounder last year, but he slipped to early in the second round.
Now, as voluntary workouts start, Steichen said he’ll probably have to keep Richardson from trying to do too much.
“I mean, he’s a competitor,” Steichen told reporters. “I think most guys that are competitors that want to be great are gonna want to push themselves, but again, we’re just going to have to monitor it, and we’ll go from there.”
And he’ll also be able to work on the little things most take for granted. Richardson can work on his huddle skills with his teammates, using what he’s heard inside in meetings.
“It’s big. (But) it’s not new for him, right?” Steichen said. “He’s heard the terminology, going through those meetings right now. Just going through it and quizzing, and he’s all over it, so he’s got a good foundation going into this offseason and going into the season, so it’s been good.”
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