Stephen Holder, ESPN
WESTFIELD, Ind. — It took only one quarter of preseason motion for Anthony Richardson to solidify himself because the Indianapolis Colts‘ launch quarterback.
Richardson, this 12 months’s fourth total draft select, would be the Colts’ starter this season, mentor Shane Steichen introduced Tuesday. The inside track comes days then Richardson’s preseason debut in opposition to the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Richardson by no means noticed it coming.
“Honestly, I was shocked,” he stated.
Richardson were in a contest with veteran Gardner Minshew, however now {that a} resolution on a starter has been reached, the Colts can dig into their preparation and tailor their offense to their unused franchise quarterback.
“Anthony’s just been progressing,” Steichen stated. “The growth he’s shown, then, obviously, going into Buffalo, playing against a lot of their starters, he showed great signs of improvement. I like the things he did, and it’s an opportunity now for him to get a lot more with the [starters] moving forward, and we go from there.”
Richardson was once 7-of-12 for 67 yards in a single quarter of motion in opposition to Buffalo. Of specific word, the Colts stated, was once the best way he composed himself then throwing a pricey interception on his first power, a yielding that resulted in a Expenses landing at the resulting ownership.
Richardson rebounded to manage two extra drives that each reached Buffalo space, together with a 77-yard power on his ultimate ownership that ended with a ignored garden objective. It was once simply his 14th get started since his ultimate season at Eastside Top Faculty in Gainesville, Florida, in 2019.
Steichen knowledgeable Richardson and Minshew of his resolution in a gathering Monday night time, the mentor stated. Upcoming, in line with Richardson, he and Steichen launched into a two-hour dialog about what comes upcoming.
Of the verdict, Richardson stated, “Still got to work for it despite being granted the opportunity. Still got to work for it because nothing’s handed to you. Got to earn everything.”
Regardless of being described because the group’s while at quarterback, Richardson, 21, stated he had refuse expectancies that this chance would come so temporarily. That’s why the verdict was once a bundle to procedure for him.
“Just hearing the words,” Richardson stated, impacted him. “You work for it, [but] you didn’t know when the timeline was going to be,” he stated. “I was just looking forward to Week 1 and just being ready for the opportunity and getting thrown in the fire hopefully. But then he told me, and I’m like, ‘Wow, it really happened.’ So, I’m thankful, I’m blessed, and now, you’ve got to keep building on this opportunity.”
Richardson represents the Colts’ untouched hope for quarterback steadiness of their more-than-four-year struggle to switch retired Andrew Success. Richardson’s proceed to the launch lineup approach the Colts can have a distinct Occasion 1 starter for the 8th consecutive season. Latter season, the Colts remarkably made 4 in-season quarterback adjustments.
Richardson is aware of that historical past in addition to the historical past prepared through the likes of Peyton Manning and Success in earlier eras. On Tuesday, he stated optimistically that he’s chasing “greatness.”
“I talked about it before,” he stated. “I want to be great. I want to be remembered. I don’t want to just be one of those guys like, ‘Well, he was in the league.’ I want my legacy to be remembered forever.”
As for Minshew, he expressed sadness time additionally acknowledging what everybody already is aware of.
“This is his franchise,” he stated of Richardson. “That’s the reason they picked him where he is. And he’s going to be really special.”
