Anthony Richardson started just 13 games in college before the Colts made him the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and then he started just four games as a rookie before he suffered a season-ending injury. So he needs all the live game experience he can get, and he got some more in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Bengals.
It was an up-and-down performance, with Richardson throwing a touchdown pass on the Colts’ first drive and then throwing a pick-six on the second drive. Asked how he would assess that performance, Richardson made a joke.
“Decent. We got two touchdowns — no, I’m joking,” Richardson said about throwing one touchdown pass to each team.
Richardson said he and tight end Kylen Granson had a miscommunication on the pick-six, and that Richardson himself messed up by not keeping two hands on the ball on a later fumble.
“The interception, that was a tough one, communication right there,” Richardson said. “Granson saw something and I saw something, we’ve just got to be on the same page right there. The fumble, they preach two hands on the ball in the pocket every day in the QB room. I know they’re going to tell me that when we get back in the meetings the next couple days. But I felt like it was a decent game.”
The Colts drafted Richardson fourth overall hoping he’d be more than just decent. The most important thing to the Colts and to Richardson is that he stay healthy enough to play a lot more than four games.
That’s what Richardson is hoping for too. He concluded his thoughts on the preseason with, “It’s always fun when I get to play football.”