The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a woeful 4-12-1 2022 NFL season – it’s worst showing since Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 NFL campaign. The Horseshoe has missed the postseason in six of the past eight years.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has his work cut out for him in the offseason. He has responded with key free-agent additions such as Isaiah McKenzie, Samson Ebukam, and Matt Gay, to name a few.

Ballard also enjoyed his most successful draft haul in years, Don’t act surprised if rookies such as Julius Brents, Josh Downs, and Blake Freeland become game-changers right away. The hirings of head coach Shane Steichen and quarterbacks coach Cam Turner also deserve an honorable mention.

However, among these key offseason additions, nobody has been bigger than rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson.

 

Anthony Richardson’s College Days with the Florida Gators

Richardson, a Gainesville, FL native, remained in-state and committed to the Florida Gators prior to the 2020 NCAA season. Richardson played behind Kyle Trask in 2020 and Emory Jones in 2021. Richardson completed 39 of 66 passes for 556 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions during that two-year stretch.

Richardson was also nimble on his feet – he had 462 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground leading up to the 2022 NCAA season. It was a mere glimpse of his otherworldly potential.

When new Gators head football coach Billy Napier made Richardson his starting quarterback that year, the latter showed everyone he was a legitimate NFL prospect.

Richardson started all 12 games and had 2,549 passing yards and 17 touchdown passes for the Gators. He also had 654 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in his phenomenal redshirt sophomore season in 2022. Florida went 6-7 with Richardson as its starting quarterback that year.

 

Indianapolis Colts Strike Gold in the 2023 NFL Draft

The Indianapolis Colts struggled mightily at quarterback in the 2022 NFL season. 2016 NFL MVP Matt Ryan looked like a shadow of his old self in his only season with the Horseshoe. Ryan struggled mightily while playing behind the worst offensive line in the NFL.

It was clear Indy’s quarterback-maddening carousel (they had four different starting quarterbacks since Luck retired prior to the 2019 NFL season) will continue – again.

Enter Richardson.

Many draft experts thought the Colts were long shots to take Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud off the draft board. Their predictions were spot on – former Colts head coach Frank Reich will now mentor Young with the Carolina Panthers while the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud will become a favorite target of Indy’s pass rushers for the next several years.

When the Indianapolis Colts were on the clock, Richardson was the best available quarterback prospect. True enough, they made him the fourth overall selection of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Indy finally has its next franchise quarterback.

 

Richardson Is Clearly the Indianapolis Colts’ Franchise Quarterback 

Anthony Richardson’s freakish athleticism was too good to pass up for Ballard and Co.: his great passing arm and shiftiness in the pocket will give opponents fits. When the pocket collapses, Richardson’s elite running prowess will help him find open receivers downfield.

Otherwise, he can gain valuable yardage on the ground with his speed. The Indianapolis Colts haven’t had a two-way quarterback in quite some time. Richardson fits that bill and complements running back Jonathan Taylor perfectly. They give the Colts two running options in case the defense shuts down their passing game.

It will also be fun to see Richardson establish a rapport with his receivers, particularly Michael Pittman, Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Jelani Woods. This writer foresees Richardson and Downs becoming an elite quarterback-wide receiver combo in the next few years.

How to Treat Colts TE Jelani Woods as Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Target

Colts TE Jelani Woods (80) – Michael Hickey/Getty Images

The knock against Richardson is his accuracy (he had a 53.8 passer rating in his redshirt sophomore season at Florida). In hindsight, Steichen helped Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts improve his accuracy when they worked together for two seasons from 2021 to 2022.

Hurts had a 66.5 passer rating as he led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII almost five months ago. He’s now the second-highest-paid player in league history (five years, $255 million) behind the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (five years, $260 million). Steichen will help Richardson reach his full potential in the next few years. Expect Richardson to take his lumps while he earns his stripes with the Horseshoe in 2023.

The other knock against Richardson is he played just one great season at Florida. Nevertheless, he has all the tools to excel in the NFL ranks. Steichen will guide him every step of the way.

It bears repeating – Anthony Richardson has been the Indianapolis Colts’ biggest offseason addition. Richardson is not only a quarterback with a tremendous upside, but he’s also a signal caller who will bring the Horseshoe back to respectability in the next two to three years.

Indy Fans Confident Anthony Richardson Will Start the Opener

Colts QB Anthony Richardson (5) – Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images