Dan Orlovsky makes bold prediction about Colts QB Anthony Richardson

Between his lone season as Florida‘s starting quarterback, his NFL Combine performance, and his Pro Day, quarterback Anthony Richardson dazzled many with his generational size, speed, and athleticism at the position. So much so that he was selected with the No. 4 overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Richardson hype train was palpable heading into April’s draft, but former NFL quarterback and current analyst Dan Orlovsky is still on board. And on ESPN’s ‘Get Up‘ Tuesday morning, he made a bold prediction about Richardson’s rookie season in Indianapolis.

“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.”

There’s no doubt Richardson has the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback, but the more mental and intangible aspects of the game presented the biggest question marks in his draft evaluation process.

Richardson only has one full season as a collegiate starter under his belt throwing for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for 654 yards and nine scores on the ground.

Many believe that he should spend his rookie season as the Colts’ backup quarterback to learn and develop, as many other quarterbacks in the past have done who’ve not been fully polished passers. But Orlovsky believes his new head coach could fast-track that development process and unlock Richardson’s abilities as early as this upcoming season.

“Matched with Shane Steichen who comes over from Philadelphia, worked wonders with Jalen Hurts. He’s going to absolutely take off and be dominant this year,” Orlovsky said.

Steichen was seminal in the development and recent improvement of Hurts, which led to a fantastic season for him last season where he achieved career highs in passing yards with 3,701, passing touchdowns with 22, and rushing touchdowns with 13, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance.

Richardson does have a similar build and skillset to Hurts, and that paired with the players he’ll be surrounded by in Indianapolis makes Orlovsky confident in his rookie of the year campaign.

“They’ve got Jonathan Taylor, that offensive line will be a little bit better, some big perimeter players, offensive rookie of the year in Indianapolis,” Orlovsky said.

FanDuel currently has Richardson tied with CJ Stroud with the third-best odds to take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award at +900 odds, trailing only behind Bryce Young and Bijan Robinson.