Colts head coach on Anthony Richardson: 'There ain't many guys that can do the things he's doing'
Colts head coach Shane Steichen clearly is a big fan of former Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson. That’s why he selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Now, Steichen has named Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback.
Here’s what the coach told SiriusXM NFL Radio about that decision: “I think just starting in OTAs, you know, getting him in here right in after the draft and just his work habits — and what he was doing and the athletic ability he brings and the playmaking ability he brings. And then going into training camp, just still continuing and seeing that growth. Then, getting him in that preseason game, starting him against a lot of the Buffalo starters. They’ve got a really good defense. And I thought he had great poise. We had the early interception but to see him bounce back from that and make the throws that he did and the plays he made, just excited about his future.”
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Additionally, Steichen pointed out in this interview he sees great intangibles with Richardson, too.
Richardson a “high-character guy”
“Great high-character guy,” Steichen said. “I mean, just the way he treats people, the way he goes about it. He’s a charismatic guy. He cares about people. Great teammate. Wants to do everything right. Going through that draft process with him and the vetting process about him, and guys that I know and trust that have coached him at Florida had nothing but great things to say about him. And then you just see the upside on film. It just jumps off the tape. You watch the tape in the draft and it’s like, Holy smokes. There ain’t many guys that can do the things he’s doing. So, let’s roll.”
Richardson started in the Colts’ first preseason game last weekend. He was 7-for-12 passing for 67 yards with an interception with no scores.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky spoke about Richardson after his preseason debut on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ this Monday.
“If I was going to give you two words that I would say to Anthony Richardson? Slow down,” Orlovsky said. “Like, you could see just, like, very energetic, almost antsy. I think that’s just the natural nerves.”
In 2022, Richardson passed for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushied for 654 yards and nine scores.
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![Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) hauls in a pass while taking balls from a throwing machine during University of Florida Gators’ Spring football practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 28, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/08/01212103/Untitled-design-80.png)
