Anthony Richardson 'shocked' by being named starting QB as a rookie

Anthony Richardson is officially the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts as a rookie, but he wasn’t expecting to be.

On Tuesday, Richardson was named the team’s starting quarterback, over competitors like Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger. Rookie head coach Shane Steichen is ready to hand the keys to the rookie himself, and a new era is under way in Indianapolis.

In his first comments made after the news dropped, Richardson kept it real, letting the world know he wasn’t expecting it.

“Honestly, I was shocked,” Richardson said Tuesday of being named the starter, per WISH-TV. “I’ve been grinding, putting in the work to try to get the title, but it’s not really all about the title.

“I’m just trying to make sure I’m ready for the team, despite being labeled as QB1 I’ve still got other guys in that room helping me to get to that standard. I’m forever thankful for them.”

Moreover, Richardson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida but was viewed as a longer-term project compared to top-two picks Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. Richardson signed his rookie deal last month, which is a four-year, $33.99 million guaranteed deal. He also earned a $21.72-million signing bonus.

The former Florida star 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.

Nevertheless, the Colts believe in Anthony Richardson, and while there may be some bumps in his path, he’s hoping to lead Indianapolis for years to come.

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Continuing, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky had a very clear message for Richardson after his debut on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Monday. If nothing else, he believes Richardson needs to slow down and relax in order to not let his energy, whether nervous or not, affect his play.

“If I was going to give you two words that I would say to Anthony Richardson? Slow down,” said Orlovsky. “Like, you could see just, like, very energetic, almost antsy. I think that’s just the natural nerves.”

When it comes to the interception, Orlovsky was more than willing to excuse it. 

“I think the interception was a completely blown play by everybody. He’ll learn from it,” said Orlovsky. “I think that’s a blown play by multiple people on their offense, not just him. I think he’s trying to throw the football away. He’ll probably learn from that.”

The Indianapolis Colts continue preseason play with a game on Saturday versus the Chicago Bears. After that, they’ll face Super Bowl contenders in the Philadelphia Eagles.

It will be a key tuneup opportunity before the season starts and the team makes final cuts. Indianapolis begins the 2023 season with a home opener versus the Jacksonville Jaguars.

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle contributed to this article.