Heading into the draft, quarterback Anthony Richardson was seen as a prospect with immense potential and a need for refinement before he’d be able to thrive at the professional level.
Richardson’s final preseason outing did little to change that picture. He played the entire first half against the Eagles and led three scoring drives while going 6-of-17 through the air. The six completions generated 78 yards and Richardson also ran five times for 38 yards as he showed both inaccuracy and an ability to make plays as both a passer and a runner over the course of the first half.
After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson’s “ability to create outside the pocket is definitely going to help us” while noting that there’s a lot to work on in the weeks to come.
“Shoot, I thought he did a solid job,” Steichen said at his press conference. “We scored three out of the first four drives, which is good. The two-minute drive wasn’t what we wanted, but we’ll go back, look at the tape. I thought he did some really good things and some things we’ve got to clean up as well.”
The regular season will bring a different level of preparation for opposing teams and Richardson said he is “excited to see the way we game plan” on a weekly basis. Plenty of others will be watching to see how the Colts make use of Richardson’s skills while working to develop him into a quarterback who can lead the team for years to come.
