Jaguars' Doug Pederson compares Colts' Anthony Richardson to former MVP

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson hasn't yet taken a snap in a meaningful NFL game but received some high praise Wednesday from Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson ahead of Sunday's Week 1 matchup between the sides.

"You think of him, you think of Cam Newton — these are big, physical, strong quarterbacks that can also throw the football. And they’re athletic," Pederson said about Richardson during a news conference, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "It is a challenge. So each quarterback who can — when you watch the tape, he can break arm tackles. And then he can run for 15, 20, 30, 40 yards and beat you with his legs."

Newton, of course, earned Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2015. As for Richardson, he measured 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds at the scouting combine before he wowed onlookers with his athleticism during drills. Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen later named Richardson the team's starter after one preseason appearance even though the fourth overall pick of this year's draft recorded just 13 college starts with the Florida Gators.

Steichen, meanwhile, previously served as offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles and helped quarterback Jalen Hurts emerge as a legitimate MVP candidate last season. Pederson expects Steichen will use Richardson similar to how the Eagles utilized Hurts' gifts throughout the 2022 campaign.

"You definitely go back and watch [college tape], just to see who he is and how [Richardson] operates," Pederson added. "And then you go back and watch his preseason tape. And then you go back and watch some of the Philly stuff — what they did with Jalen. Maybe you even go back and watch a little bit of (New York Giants starter) Daniel Jones a little bit because some of their coaches have worked with him. And just see how these different QB runs can affect the game."

Richardson completed 13 of 29 pass attempts (44.8%) for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception during the preseason. As of Wednesday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Jaguars as the favorites (-225, -5) to defeat the Colts in Sunday's showdown held at Lucas Oil Stadium.