NFL offseason power rankings: No. 17 Indianapolis Colts need Anthony Richardson to be healthy


The Colts are looking for better health and big plays from quarterback Anthony Richardson. (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports)

Other NFL team previews: 32. Panthers | 31. Patriots | 30. Broncos | 29. Commanders | 28. Giants | 27. Titans | 26. Raiders | 25. Cardinals | 24. Saints | 23. Chargers | 22. Vikings | 21. Seahawks | 20. Buccaneers | 19. Jaguars | 18. Falcons

Quarterback Anthony Richardson played 173 snaps as a rookie for the Indianapolis Colts, a little more than 15% of their offensive plays last season.

And that was enough to get the Colts excited for the future. Maybe Richardson will get exposed playing a full season — playing more than four games without suffering a major injury will be positive news in itself — but what he did in his short time on the field was electrifying. Richardson had 577 yards passing, three touchdowns, one interception, 136 rushing yards and four touchdowns in what amounts to about two and a half games worth of action. Richardson was knocked out early in three of his four games due to injury, and that’s a big concern, but his entire package of skills was on full display as a rookie.

Go back and watch him calmly lead the Colts to a game-tying score in the final minutes of regulation against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. The Colts lost that game in overtime, but Richardson was smooth under pressure in the fourth quarter, which was a promising sign. The Colts were thrilled to land Richardson, a physical marvel with limited college experience but an immense upside, with the fourth pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Aside from the injuries, they had to feel good about the pick.

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It’s funny though. The reason Richardson was a divisive prospect was he had just 13 starts in college, a remarkably low number for a top-five pick. Relatively speaking, there wasn’t enough tape to know what Richardson really was as a player. But the highlights and physical skills were so marvelous, it was easy to dream…


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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-09 12:24:05

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