Colts Will Start Rookie QB Anthony Richardson vs. Jaguars in Week 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars will officially play rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in Week 1.

Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick out of Florida, was a college dual threat who completed 54.7% of his passes in college for 3,105 yards, 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also tallied 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

Richardson, 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, which was the fourth-fastest among quarterbacks at the NFL Combine since 2000. No quarterback had a higher vertical leap (40.5 inches) or longer broad jump (129 inches) than Richardson,

"Anthony's just been progressing," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said via ESPN.

"The growth he's shown, then, obviously, going into Buffalo, playing against a lot of their starters, he showed great signs of improvement. I like the things he did, and it's an opportunity now for him to get a lot more with the [starters] moving forward, and we go from there."

This means the Jaguars can officially prepare to face Richardson when Week 1 kicks off on Sept. 10, which is just 26 days away. The Jaguars were always likely to see Richardson under center in the first game of their 2023 campaign, though former Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew was pushing Richardson for a starting role.

The Jaguars didn't face many rookie quarterbacks a year ago, but Mike Caldwell's unit is now set to face Richardson and C.J. Stroud twice apiece this year, along with facing Bryce Young in Week 17 and potentially Will Levis at some point in the year.

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