Count Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman as a fan of the franchise’s new quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Pittman has dealt with some rough quarterback play over his time in Indianapolis, so he’s elated to see the former Florida Gators star under center for his team. Evidently, the wide receiver believes Richardson is as unique as any in the league, believing him to be the perfect blend of physical attributes for a quarterback.
“I mean, AR is — I mean, he’s big. He’s fast. I mean, he’s strong. And like, he is just like, if like, if you could create just like, a Madden quarterback, that’s like basically him,” explained the Colts wide receiver. “You know he’s got 99 speed, 99 strength, 99 arm. So he’s just got like everything really.”
Literally a video game cheat code. If Richardson can play up to Pittman’s high praise of him, he’s going to be a star in the league for a long, long time.
In addition to Pittman, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky is a big time believer in Richardson. Earlier in the month, he made a bold prediction about Richardson’s rookie season, thinking there will be some hardware in his future.
“Anthony Richardson, the rookie quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts will win Offensive Rookie of the Year,” Orlovsky proclaimed. “The unicorn talent where he can beat you with his arm, his legs, and his mind.”
Moreover, Richardson had only one year of starting experience in college with the Gators. He made 12 starts in 2022 with a 6-6 record, throwing for 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and nine picks on a 54% completion percentage. He also added 654 rushing yards and nine more scores on the ground.
Coming out of high school, Richardson was a four-star recruit, but On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Powers said that the industry still underrated him as a recruit, which seems to be the case.
“Indianapolis Colts’ No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson was not an easy evaluation as a high school prospect,” Powers wrote. “He was not overly productive as a junior and showed some flashes early on as a senior, but missed half of the season with a shoulder injury. Even though he wasn’t a dominant player, we should’ve done a better job of recognizing and weighing his incredibly rare physical tools.
“Richardson was 6-foot-4, 225 pounds with a 10.5-inch hand. He ran a verified 4.50-second 40-yard dash and showed a very strong arm in neutral settings.”
Now in the NFL, Anthony Richardson has made his believers proud, and his detractors eat their words every step of the way. With weapons like Michael Pittman in Indianapolis, the Colts quarterback could have a star-making rookie season in 2023.
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