Anthony Richardson played just 13 games in college before the Colts selected him fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and then just four as a rookie before suffering a season-ending injury. So he needed to get all the live game experience he could, and he got some more in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Bengals.
When asked how he would rate his performance, Richardson joked, “It was an up-and-down performance, throwing a touchdown pass on the Colts’ first drive and then an interception on their second.”
“Not bad. I got two touchdowns. No, I’m kidding,” Richardson said of throwing one touchdown pass each to each team.
Richardson said there was a miscommunication between him and tight end Kylen Granson on interception six, and that Richardson himself made a mistake by not keeping two hands on the ball on the ensuing fumble.
“The interception was a tough one. It was about communication,” Richardson said. “It was something that both Granson and I noticed. We have to be on the same page. With the fumbles, we preach it every day in the quarterback room, keep two hands on the ball in your pocket. They’ll tell me that when we get back to the meeting in a few days. But I felt like it was a good game.”
The Colts drafted Richardson fourth overall and expected him to be more than just a decent player, so what’s most important for the Colts and for Richardson is that he stays healthy enough to play more than four games.
That’s what Richardson is hoping for, too, as he concluded his preseason thoughts with, “Anytime we can play football, it’s fun.”