It’s uncertain if Anthony Richardson will be under center for the Colts come Week 1, but the quarterback will undoubtedly be thrown into the fire during his rookie season. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Colts owner Jim Irsay said that the fourth-overall pick will see plenty of playing time during the 2023 campaign.
“For Anthony Richardson, it’s going to be tough . We know that,” Irsay said. “But he has to play to get better. I mean, there’s no question. Gardner [Minshew] could play come out and obviously play better early on, just being a veteran, but we have to get Anthony on the field. That’s Shane’s call when he decides to do it.”
The Colts have a glowing track record when it comes to top-five QBs, and both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck started every game as rookies (with Manning finishing his rookie campaign with mixed results). However, as Irsay noted during his interview, Manning had 45 collegiate starts under his belt when he entered the NFL. Richardson got 13 starts during his three seasons at Florida, with the majority of them coming this past year.
Of course, in those aforementioned 12 starts, Richardson tossed 17 touchdowns vs. nine interceptions while also adding another 654 yards and nine scores on the ground. Those flashes of stardom catapulted the prospect up the draft rankings, leading to him being selected with the fourth-overall pick.
Considering Indy’s investment, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the coaching staff brought the rookie QB along slowly to begin the 2023 campaign. The Colts signed Gardner Minshew to a one-year, $3.5MM deal this past offseason, and the veteran brings along 24 games of starting experience. The Colts will also return former sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger, who has been with the organization since 2021.
If Minshew plays poorly the Colts are going to bench him for Richardson, if Minshew plays well the Colts are going to bench him for Richardson. Quarterbacks only stay for 1 year in Indy, it is a smart move for him to sign here for the money and just move on next year.
The Colts have a staggering 4 division rival games in the first 6 weeks of the season, 2 of those being against the Jags. Minshew is going to have a tough start out of the gate going up against the team he started with. Week 1 Colts vs Jags will be Minshew’s first time playing against the team that drafted him.
the longer Irsay stays , the more this team becomes the Browns
It’s absurd for Irsay to say “This is what we have to do…but it’s your call”. I can’t imagine why anyone would what to work for a GM like that.