Indianapolis Colts OC on Anthony Richardson: ‘Evident we didn’t have a rookie on our hands anymore’

Anthony Richardson was already a raw quarterback when the Colts selected the former Florida star with the fourth pick of last year’s NFL Draft. Then he went down with a season-ending shoulder injury after only a month of play.

But maybe a season spent watching his Colts teammates, albeit while wearing a sling to protect his shoulder, will help Richardson in his second year. His coaches certainly think so. While he couldn’t learn while on the field, things like reading the safeties and identifying blitzes, he could watch from the sidelines.

And from that spot, he could listen in on all the discussions between offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and quarterback Gardner Minshew. Coach Shane Steichen and Cooter also developed a routine for Richardson for the daily stuff, so he could stay close to the team.

It also was a continuation of what the Colts coaches did to prep Richardson to get him NFL-ready. Steichen and Cooter looked everywhere for college plays, even ones run by high schools, that best utilized an athletic quarterback. Then they incorporated them into the Indy offensive playbook to show off all of Richardson’s skills.

Steichen and Cooter did something similar when they coached Jalen Hurts when they were with the Eagles. It’s why the Eagles’ playbook looked a lot like the one run by the Oklahoma Sooners.

So maybe Richardson was able to soak it all in, even with his throwing arm in a sling.

“It was important to give Anthony the best shot to continue learning as the year went on,” Cooter told Albert Breer with Sports Illustrated. “So that he could have a great shot to succeed this year. We tried to do that.”

Colts building offense around Anthony Richardson

The Colts continue to build around Richardson. They focused on offense in last month’s NFL Draft with the team using four of its top five picks on that side of the ball. They selected two offensive linemen in Matt Goncalves and Tanor Bortolini. Plus, Indy picked receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round and Anthony Gould in the fifth.

“It’s actually a good problem to have because we’ve got a lot of dudes,” Steichen told reporters after the draft. “Obviously, there’s one football that goes around. But we’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got to utilize that talent. That’s our job: to put those guys in position to go do it.

“But we’re fired up about what we have on offense,” the coach said. “We’ve got to put the work in, you know what I mean? We get these guys in the building this offseason and going into training camp, put them in a position to succeed.”

The Colts already had a good nucleus of offensive players. Receiver Michael Pittman agreed to a $68 million, three-year extension. Tight end Jelani Woods, all 6-foot-7 of him, is also expected to return after missing last season because of hamstring issues. And RB Jonathan Taylor still is in the backfield.

Now, the Colts will see how much Richardson absorbed in what ended up being a redshirt season. When the season ended in January, the coaches encouraged the young quarterback to take a mental break. He’s back now, working out with his teammates. So far, coaches are impressed.

“It was evident we didn’t have a rookie on our hands anymore,” Cooter said. “That was for sure.”