Getty Image / Stacy Revere
The Indianapolis Colts shocked football fans last night with the 4th pick in the NFL Draft.
Will Levis entered the night as a big favorite to be their pick as they look to fix the quarterback issues that have plagued them the last few years.
The Colts ended up deciding that Anthony Richardson was a better fit for them.
Today, Richardson spoke to the media at his first press conference as a member of the Colts and revealed that the team’s new head coach told him they’d be doing similar things to what he did with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia and added that he believes he can perform like Hurts in the offense.
Hear from QB Anthony Richardson following Night 1 of the #NFLDraft: https://t.co/b11AicWfyC
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 28, 2023
“The offense is great. We’ve all seen what he did with Jalen Hurts and he told me we can do similar things like that,” Richardson said. “And I’m definitely excited for it because I feel like I can perform the same way Jalen did in a type of offense like that. So, I’m looking forward to the offense, looking forward to working with coach, and ready to get to work.”
The success that Colts head coach Shane Steichen had as the offensive coordinator for Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles likely played a part in the Colts’ decision to take Richardson instead of Will Levis.
Richardson should be able to do all of the things Hurts was able to do on the ground and is bigger than Hurts, but he didn’t show the same ability as a passer in college that Hurts did.
Luckily, Anthony Richardson ended up with a team that should be able to give him a year to develop. They currently have Gardner Minshew lined up to be their starter in 2023, which will give Richardson a chance to spend some time learning Steichen’s offense before he takes over under center.
He’ll just have a lot to live up to once he does become the starter because of the inevitable comparisons to Jalen Hurts that will come because of the coach he’s playing for.