The Seahawks might go the next 15 years asking themselves, “What if?”
While appearing on Seattle Sports radio show Monday, coach Pete Carroll was asked if the team considered taking Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 5 pick in last week’s NFL draft. Richardson was taken at No. 4 by the Colts.
“We considered him,” Carroll said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “Shoot, we flew all the way out there to see him. Not just to see him but to be around him and watch him and how he handled himself, and his program with all the hype that was going. We gave him tremendous consideration.
Pete Carroll was asked on @SeattleSports radio how seriously Seattle considered QB Anthony Richardson, who was drafted one spot ahead them to the Colts.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) May 1, 2023
Pete: "We gave him tremendous consideration." pic.twitter.com/NcsGDzg9hG
“He might be the best athlete that’s ever been drafted at that position,” Carroll continued. “He’s arguably that. So, we had to definitely consider that.”
Seattle ended up taking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth pick in the draft, but it remains to be seen if missing out on Richardson will haunt the franchise for all its days. The team recently signed Geno Smith to a three-year deal worth up to $105 million, so even if Richardson did go to Seattle, he would have likely spent his rookie year on the bench.
The former Gators quarterback will likely not get that luxury in Indianapolis and could see some serious playing time to start his NFL career in 2023.
