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Stephen Holder, ESPN
WESTFIELD, Ind. — It took just one quarter of preseason action for Anthony Richardson to solidify himself as the Indianapolis Colts‘ starting quarterback.
Richardson, this year’s fourth overall draft pick, will be the Colts’ starter this season, coach Shane Steichen announced Tuesday. The news comes days after Richardson’s preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. Richardson never saw it coming.
“Honestly, I was shocked,” he said.
Richardson had been in a competition with veteran Gardner Minshew, but now that a decision on a starter has been reached, the Colts can dig into their preparation and tailor their offense to their new franchise quarterback.
“Anthony’s just been progressing,” Steichen said. “The growth he’s shown, then, obviously, going into Buffalo, playing against a lot of their starters, he showed great signs of improvement. I like the things he did, and it’s an opportunity now for him to get a lot more with the [starters] moving forward, and we go from there.”
Richardson was 7-of-12 for 67 yards in one quarter of action against Buffalo. Of particular note, the Colts said, was the way he composed himself after throwing a costly interception on his first drive, a turnover that led to a Bills touchdown on the ensuing possession.
Richardson rebounded to lead two more drives that both reached Buffalo territory, including a 77-yard drive on his final possession that ended with a missed field goal. It was just his 14th start since his final season at Eastside High School in Gainesville, Florida, in 2019.
Steichen informed Richardson and Minshew of his decision in a meeting Monday evening, the coach said. Then, according to Richardson, he and Steichen embarked on a two-hour conversation about what comes next.
Of the decision, Richardson said, “Still got to work for it despite being granted the opportunity. Still got to work for it because nothing’s handed to you. Got to earn everything.”
Despite being described as the team’s future at quarterback, Richardson, 21, said he had no expectations that this opportunity would come so quickly. That’s why the decision was a lot to process for him.
“Just hearing the words,” Richardson said, impacted him. “You work for it, [but] you didn’t know when the timeline was going to be,” he said. “I was just looking forward to Week 1 and just being ready for the opportunity and getting thrown in the fire hopefully. But then he told me, and I’m like, ‘Wow, it really happened.’ So, I’m thankful, I’m blessed, and now, you’ve got to keep building on this opportunity.”
Richardson represents the Colts’ latest hope for quarterback stability in their more-than-four-year effort to replace retired Andrew Luck. Richardson’s move to the starting lineup means the Colts will have a different Week 1 starter for the eighth consecutive season. Last season, the Colts remarkably made four in-season quarterback changes.
Richardson knows that history as well as the history set by the likes of Peyton Manning and Luck in previous eras. On Tuesday, he said confidently that he’s chasing “greatness.”
“I talked about it before,” he said. “I want to be great. I want to be remembered. I don’t want to just be one of those guys like, ‘Well, he was in the league.’ I want my legacy to be remembered forever.”
As for Minshew, he expressed disappointment while also acknowledging what everyone already knows.
“This is his franchise,” he said of Richardson. “That’s the reason they picked him where he is. And he’s going to be really special.”
