Anthony Richardson ‘had a feeling’ he’d join Colts: ‘I want to be a legend’

It’s no secret that the Indianapolis Colts were in the market for a new quarterback, and boy did they get one!

The Colts snagged Florida‘s breakout signal-caller Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday, and the 20-year-old Florida native didn’t hold back his excitement about packing up and heading to the Midwest.

In fact, he had a gut feeling that he’d be Indiana-bound all along.

“I kind of had a feeling that they were going to select me because I fell in love with the people in the building when I was there on my visit,” Richardson said. “Then, just talking to coach [Shane Steichen], talking to Chris Ballard — just talking to those guys and getting familiar with them, it felt like home. And now they picked me up, and I’m ready to come home.”

Richardson garnered a great deal of attention after his stellar performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in March, posting numbers comparable to some of the league’s best players — not just quarterbacks. His 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds) was the fastest we’ve seen from a QB since 2000, which is even more impressive considering his size, weighing in at 244 pounds. Richardson’s broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches) and vertical jump (40.5 inches) rivaled combined records for his position.

The 6-foot-4 Richardson has been referred to as a hybrid between Heisman Trophy winners and league MVPs Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton, with many — including himself — referring to him as “Cam Jackson” over the years.

Richardson is ready to retire that nickname, though.

“It’s time to make my own legacy,” he said Thursday. “No more Cam Jackson. It’s Anthony Richardson now.”

After many years of struggling with quarterbacks — the Colts have had five different starters over the past five seasons — Indianapolis’ brain trust is putting all of its eggs in Richardson’s basket. His outstanding athleticism and strong intangibles could finally be what the team needs to build a solid foundation and establish a true franchise quarterback.

Richardson, who had the phrase “I want to be a legend” stitched on the inside of the suit jacket that he wore on the red carpet Thursday, will join the Colts quarterback room consisting of Gardner Minshew, Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger.

The Colts haven’t made it to the postseason since 2020, when they lost in the wild-card round. Indianapolis finished this past season 4-12-1 behind three different starters: Matt Ryan (12 games), Ehlinger (three games) and Foles (two games).

“I’m excited to get to work,” Richardson added. “When I got that call, you know, it just hit me. This is where it starts. This is where the journey begins. … I’m ready to start my routine and get it going, so I can bring a Super Bowl home.”

Richardson is arguably the biggest wild card of the 2023 NFL Draft, having only started 13 games during his college football career with the Gators — one game as a redshirt freshman in 2021 and 12 games as a sophomore in 2022.

The big-bodied athlete boasts a 54.7% career completion percentage. In 2022, the dual-threat quarterback threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions through the air, while rushing for 654 yards and nine scores.

“The development of players comes with more experience,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Richardson had 13 starts. I think when you play more, that’s how you develop. You know what I mean? So, with him playing and his experience as a player and getting more reps, practice reps, game reps, I think that’s how you develop.”

The Colts took the optimistic approach, focusing on their in-person meetings with Richardson to evaluate his character in addition to the film they had already analyzed, and that’s where they found the quarterback that they believe will lead them into the future.

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