Sportsnaut
When the Indianapolis Colts were looking to move on from Matt Ryan, they signed Gardner Minshew and fell in love with Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Colts liked Richardson so much that they made him the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Yet, Richardson arrived in the NFL as a very raw prospect who needed to become more consistent as a passer. While his running abilities were on full display, Richardson’s stardom quickly took a hit by surviving just 15 out of 34 games in his first two seasons due to injury.
He’s also had some serious issues with accuracy, completing an NFL-worst 50.6% of his passes since arriving in the league. Yet, after working to overcome various shoulder concerns in past seasons, Richardson has finally had a healthy offseason to refine his craft, and he’s facing some stiff competition for the starting job in the form of former No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones.
However, according to The Athletic’s Colts expert Zak Keefer, Richardson “was sharper than Jones’ during the team’s first two padded practices. In doing so, Richardson reportedly showed off “some improved accuracy.”
Of course, two days of work won’t be the leading factor when determining who the starter should be. Yet, it’s a good start for a player who needed to get off on the right foot. Whether it’s enough to hold off Jones throughout training camp remains to be seen, but it’s fair to say that Richardson running away with the job would be a great development for Indianapolis.
Related: 10 NFL QBs Who Could Get Benched in 2025
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