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The Anthony Richardson Era is underway in Indianapolis as Colts head coach Shane Steichen named the rookie the starting quarterback for the regular season. It only took one preseason game to see all they needed to from Richardson and it’s the right decision. Throw the rookie in the fire and see what he can do right out of the gate.
There will be highs, there will be lows and there will be in-betweens but Steichen and company need to see what they’ve got with the No. 4 overall selection at the most important position in sports. When quarterback contracts are climbing to new stratospheres it’s even more important for teams to strike while those rookie contracts still have years on them.
The safe pick would have been Gardner Minshew, who is a veteran who has been in Shane Steichen’s offense but his ceiling is limited whereas Richardson offers as much of a running threat as he does in the passing game that can give opposing defenses headaches.
The first test will be starting on Wednesday when the Chicago Bears come to town for a pair of joint practices and the second preseason game. How much play will Richardson get in the game now that he’s been given the reins to the franchise? He still needs reps without question but the Colts don’t want to put the rookie in harm’s way before the games start to count.
We’re next in line for the rookie quarterback ride. Let’s hope it’s a thrilling one with few malfunctions.
