The Indianapolis Colts will have rookie Anthony Richardson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. This was confirmed by the Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen in a chat with the reporters on Tuesday.
Richardson played one-quarter of football in the preseason opener, completing seven passes out of 12 attempts and throwing for 67 yards and an interception against the Buffalo Bills. While his performance wasn’t spectacular, it was enough for Steichen to make up his mind.
“Anthony’s just been progressing,” Steichen said of his decision. “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.”
The Colts selected Richardson, who played college football with the Florida Gators, with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. While many analysts had him as the quarterback with the most upside in the class, he was also considered the least NFL-ready signal-caller taken in the first round.
The Colts signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Gardner Minshew in the free agency, and he was the favorite to be the starter this offseason while Richardson adapts to the pros. However, it looks like Steichen and his coaching staff don’t want to waste any time and will roll the dice on Richardson right away.
