Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson hasn’t played much high-level football. He was selected fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft despite making just 13 starts in college during his career. He started just four games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
The preseason isn’t for everyone, especially starting quarterbacks, but a few extra reps wouldn’t hurt for Richardson.
The Colts know about Richardson’s potential, but can’t really know for sure what they have. In Thursday night’s final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Richardson played well into the second quarter on a night when three of the other four teams in action sat all of their starters. Richardson was eventually pulled with 6:07 left in the second quarter.
There were some positives to his evening, but it also showed that Richardson is still developing.
Anthony Richardson starts strong
The night started well for Richardson. On Indianapolis’ first drive, Richardson completed 7 of 8 passes for 65 yards, ending with a touchdown to rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Richardson showed good speed on his passes and looked sharp on that drive. The Colts didn’t want to end the night on that note and opted to give Richardson some extra plays.
Then there were still some mistakes.
The biggest mistake came on a pick-6. Bengals safety Jordan Battle, a 2023 third-round pick, made a perfect read on Richardson and jumped in front of his short pass. Battle intercepted the pass and ran into the end zone for a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown.
That’s a learning experience for an inexperienced quarterback. It certainly didn’t count.
Richardson is having an irregular night
Richardson nearly had another turnover in the second quarter when he didn’t feel the rush behind him and was stripped. The Colts recovered that fumble.
Richardson had a fast start and a slow finish, completing 8 of 14 passes for 86 yards, but nearly all of the positives came on the first drive. The Colts’ next four drives ended with an interception and three punts.
Maybe the Colts should have let Richardson go after that touchdown drive.
The Colts got more information on Richardson and while some of it was negative, they can use it before the regular season to get better.
Richardson’s potential is tantalizing, especially after playing very well in limited time last season. Until he can stay healthy for a full season, we won’t know exactly how good he is as an NFL quarterback. Thursday showed some good things, but there are also a few areas that need improvement.
