Anthony Richardson verdict delivered by Colts after first glimpse at QB

13 August 2023 , 17:16

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Anthony Richardson played his first game for the Indianapolis Colts in pre-season against the Buffalo Bills (Image: Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

New Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has played his first game for the NFL franchise.

The Colts drafted Richardson with the No.4 overall pick in April’s 2023 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old is now preparing for his rookie year in the NFL, and could go on to be the starter for the AFC South franchise.

Richardson will be competing with Gardner Minshew and Sam Ehlinger for the starting quarterback spot in the Colts roster. The unofficial depth chart released by the Colts on August 8 confirmed that Richardson and Gardner were both in consideration to be the starter.

In preparation for the new season, the Colts faced the Buffalo Bills in their first pre-season game of the summer. The Colts lost 23-19, but Richardson still managed to put in a solid performance.

The rookie QB was 7-12 in completed passes for 67 yards but had zero touchdowns and recorded one interception. Despite struggling to find a touchdown pass, Colts head coach Shane Steichen was still impressed with what he saw from the quarterback.

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"I thought he had great poise," Steichen is quoted saying via . "I knew we had the early interception. That's my fault. We've got to do a better job communicating on that one.

“That starts with coaching, starts with myself. Other than that, I thought he was efficient."

Richardson himself was also happy with the way he performed on his debut in a Colts jersey. The quarterback has been working through pre-season training camp to get ready for the NFL, and he admits that he still has a lot to learn ahead of his rookie season.

"I think I did pretty decent," Richardson told the team’s official website. "It's taught me a lot so far.

“I can't be reckless with the ball, I got to be on the same page as my receivers, be on the same page as everybody on the offense. But overall I think I did pretty decent and I can do a lot better."

Richardson added: “I still got a lot of room for improvement and I'm just excited I even got a chance to go out there."

Richardson will be looking to improve his performance over the course of the Colts’ pre-season campaign. The team still has friendlies against the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles, which will work as the build-up to the Week One opener against AFC South divisional rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mark Wakefield