If the Indianapolis Colts have a small margin of error, the margin for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is even smaller.
The franchise selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, hoping he would be the answer they desperately sought.
Unequivocally, Richardson understands the expectations.
“First red zone day, I realized how small the windows were and how fast the defense can react to certain things,” said Richardson during OTAs. “I definitely have realized that the margin for error is definitely small. It’s just a matter of mastering my craft and being ahead of the defense whenever the time comes.”
Teammate Kenny Moore II has observed Richardson going the extra mile, constantly studying notes and prepping before meetings. Richardson explained that doing the bare minimum was unacceptable when asked about it. More importantly, he genuinely desires to learn and has expressed that learning helps him do his job better.
Richardson plans to continue learning by connecting with fellow quarterback Gardener Minshew II and the wide receivers to establish chemistry before training camp later this month. And when he doesn’t know something, Richardson says he will remember he’s a rookie and hasn’t seen everything.
“I haven’t even played my first game yet. It’s just a matter of remembering that I’m a rookie and making sure I can be the best rookie. That’s really it.”
As for when Richardson believes he will be taking over as the starting quarterback, he’s not putting a timetable on it.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I guess it’s whenever Coach (Shane) Steichen feels like I’m ready to be out there – he’s confident I know the stuff, confident I can lead the team and confident I can win NFL games,” Richardson said. “It’s just a matter of him feeling like I’m ready or not and me trying to make strides every day.”
