Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Colts WR believes QB Anthony Richardson is a future HOFer

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 8/17/23

Anthony Richardson has yet to play an official NFL snap, but his teammate, wideout Michael Pittman, believes the 2023 fourth-overall pick will have a career worthy of enshrinement in Canton when all's said and done.

On Thursday, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports asked Pittman if Richardson was Hall of Fame-bound, and while the question was tongue in cheek, the Colts receiver quickly responded, "Yes. Yes, he is."

Pittman continued, heaping praise on the 21-year-old rookie in a slightly sarcastic yet truthful way.

"He still has probably like 15 years to go - dude's a freak out here," Pittman said. "He's what, like 240, can probably bench press a house. He's like faster than me probably, but I would never tell him that, though."

Is Anthony Richardson going to be a Hall of Famer?

Michael Pittman told @jjones9 he will be pic.twitter.com/6VfXkAQAk2
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) August 17, 2023

Pittman isn't the only Colt expressing enormous confidence in the rookie quarterback. After Richardson attempted only 12 passes in his preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills, the Colts had seen enough, naming him their Week 1 starter. First-year head coach Shane Steichen backed up the move, saying the Colts were ready to "roll" with Richardson due to his work ethic, playmaking skills and character.

Meanwhile, Richardson also received a vote of confidence from Hall of Fame QB Warren Moon, who said he "agreed" with the Colts' decision to crown the former Florida standout so early in the preseason.

While Richardson has drawn rave reviews during training camp, he'll still have to prove it on the field in an actual NFL contest. And the task will be challenging.

Richardson must navigate his way on a Colts team many predict will win only six or seven games at best in 2023. Oh, by the way, the drama between the Colts and star running back Jonathan Taylor is still unresolved, providing an extra distraction for the team and Richardson.

If Richardson can conquer the many obstacles heading into his first year, he'll still have several massive leaps to make if he hopes to prove Pittman's words true.

Only nine quarterbacks picked fourth or higher in the NFL Draft have ultimately reached the Hall of Fame. Furthermore, over the last half-century, only four QBs chosen fourth or higher have eventually landed in Canton, including John Elway (1983), Steve Young (1984), Troy Aikman (1989), and Payton Manning (1998).

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