Colts' Anthony Richardson: NFL Life is 'Everything I Dreamed Of'
As he stepped up to the podium on Tuesday and received his first question, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson let his personality shine through, referencing an iconic line by former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.
“I’m just here so I won’t get fined," Richardson laughed. "I’m just kidding. I told my mom I was going to do that."
The 21-year-old rookie out of the University of Florida had a huge smile on his face as he addressed the media. That seems to be the norm with Richardson these days. Whether on the practice field, talking to the press, or just walking around the building, it is rare to see the quarterback without a big grin.
The reason for the constant smile? Richardson is quite literally living his dream.
"It’s been everything I dreamed of," he revealed about his NFL experience. "It’s a lot of work and when I say a lot of work, I mean a lot of work. Just being in here with the vets, watching them work and trying to find my own routine within everything and just grind day in and day out. Everything I’ve dreamed of but it’s definitely a lot.”
The Colts began their three-day mandatory minicamp this week as the entire team gathers for the last time before training camp begins in July. The Colts have already held three weeks worth of voluntary OTAs, where attendance has been close to 100%.
Richardson has, of course, been present every day the rules allow him to be. After the Colts selected Richardson with the No.4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft less than two months ago, the quarterback has had to quickly adjust to not only life in the NFL but the speed of the NFL game. It did not take long for the rookie to realize how fast everything is at the next level.
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"It was my first day practicing with the vets, it was way different from rookie mini-camp," Richardson remembered. "I just see guys flying around. I pulled the ball on a zone read one time and the end was chasing me – he was like right next to me and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is different.’ So, it was definitely going fast but the next day I knew there was some progress and I was just relaxing and trusting what I was studying. But, it’s definitely slowed down for me.”
Things are already beginning to slow down for Richardson because he has been working consistently to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Numerous teammates of Richardson have already expressed how impressed they have been with the quarterback's work ethic. Richardson knows what is expected of him as a top draft pick and as a quarterback and leader on this team. Doing the bare minimum will not cut it.
"My position and the light that I’m in – I can’t do the bare minimum," Richardson explained. "The team would not allow that, I would not allow that for myself. I know the GM, coach and the owner definitely don’t want that from me. It’s just a matter of me putting the work in.
"I’m not just doing it for show – I actually want to learn this information, know this information for the team because I don’t want to get thrown out there and I’m lost and the team is like, ‘Why is this dude out there?’ I just want to make sure I’m on point with everything and I’m doing my job the best way I can.”
Preparation is key for any quarterback to have success in the NFL. Peyton Manning was known for his intense preparation. Andrew Luck was as well. Richardson is following that same path already.
The first step in that preparation is knowing the playbook cover to cover. Richardson has been spending as much time as he can in head coach Shane Steichen's playbook as he continues to master the offense. He has seen more of the playbook than any part of his new home in Indianapolis.
"I‘ve seen my playbook a lot and I think it’s going to be like that for a while,” he remarked.
But learning the playbook has not been a mundane task for Richardson. Instead, it has been an invigorating experience for the rookie quarterback as he imagines what he could accomplish in this offense and the why's associated with each concept.
"As a QB, whenever you see deep shots in the playbook you get excited because you like to throw the ball deep and beat the coverage whenever it does happens," Richardson said. "I just get excited when I’m looking at it in general because it’s all new to me and I’m like, ‘Okay, what’s this? What’s this?’ You’ve got to ask questions. ‘Coach, how does this relate to this? What happens if they do this?’ Just getting information and taking it in, I just love it.”
Richardson will continue to be in the playbook all summer as he prepares for his first training camp in the NFL. Before that, Richardson and fellow quarterback Gardner Minshew II plan on getting the rest of the offensive skill players together in Florida during their time off to continue building chemistry with each other.
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“I’ll be getting with the receivers, getting with Gardner trying to get in the building here so I can constantly learn information and build chemistry because the season is right around the corner, it’s coming up fast," he said. "Trying to get better, master my craft. Getting in the playbook a lot more and getting chemistry with the receivers a lot more as well.”
Mastering the playbook and building chemistry with teammates are part of the preparation that the great quarterbacks revel in. However, the bottom line is Richardson will ultimately be judged by what he can do on the field on Sundays. The pressure to produce results comes with the territory of being a quarterback in the NFL.
By now, we are all aware of Richardson's physical gifts: 6'4”, 244 pounds, 4.43-speed, and a rocket launcher for a right arm. But he is still a raw talent, continuing to work on his mechanics to improve his accuracy and the mental side of playing the position. All of those factors combined will be what determines the level of success he has in the NFL. Richardson wants to be known as a great quarterback rather than a great athlete.
“Hopefully they think that I’m a great quarterback despite all the things I can do physically," Richardson stated. "God blessed me with that and I’m thankful but the game isn’t always physical...Just because I’m fast doesn’t mean I can just run around people because they’re fast as well. I just want to get mentally better every day and go out there and play quarterback and not just be a freak athlete that knows how to throw the ball far.”
The journey has only just begun for Richardson, with plenty of work still to be done. But do not count on him losing that big smile anytime soon.
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