By Vinny Somma
It took just one preseason game for the Indianapolis Colts to halt their quarterback competition.
On Tuesday, head coach Shane Steichen named rookie Anthony Richardson the team’s Week 1 starter — a move that veteran Gardner Minshew firmly supports.
“This is his franchise,” Minshew told reporters in response to Richardson being named the starter, via Pro Football Talk. “There’s a reason they picked him where they did. He’s going to be special.”
Minshew inked a one-year deal with the team this offseason after serving as the primary backup to Jalen Hurts for the Philadelphia Eagles over the past two seasons. He entered training camp rotating first-team snaps with Richardson but was widely considered a long shot to edge out the No. 4 overall pick for the starting gig.
Richardson, 21, is one of the most physically gifted quarterback talents to enter the league in recent memory. Checking in at 6’4″ and 244 pounds, Richardson has the build of an edge rusher and the arm ability to rival the NFL’s elite at the quarterback position.
However, along with Richardson’s ample talents comes an immensely raw skillset. Of his 13 collegiate starts at Florida, 12 came in 2022, where he tossed 17 touchdowns to nine interceptions. His rushing ability — 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on 161 attempts as a Gator — should help ease his transition to the pros. Still, he must improve upon his footwork and decision-making if he hopes to escape the fate that other raw talents such as Zach Wilson and Trey Lance have suffered in recent years.
Wilson and Lance, who were selected No. 2 and No. 3 overall respectively in the 2021 NFL draft, are both projected to enter the 2023 season as backups for their teams.
Richardson will get his first taste of meaningful action on September 10 when the Colts welcome the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars into Lucas Oil Stadium.
Originally posted on yardbarker.com