Pro Football Focus put together its ranking of the top 32 quarterbacks entering the 2024 season. Coming in at No. 24 on the list was the Colts’ Anthony Richardson.
Making up the top five was Patrich Mahomes at No. 1, followed by Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert.
Just ahead of Richardson on this list at No. 22 and No. 23 were Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. Just behind Richardson at Nos. 25 and 26 were Bryce Young and the Patriots quarterback combo of Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye.
Here is what PFF had to say about Richardson:
“Richardson is supremely talented and showed flashes of top-level traits in his four games in 2023. However, he suffered both a concussion and a sprain in his rookie year, the latter requiring surgery, which ended his season prematurely.
“Goal No. 1 for Richardson is a fully healthy season. Goal No. 2 is improved accuracy and timing. We know he has a howitzer of an arm and is an elite rushing threat. But he must take a big step forward in his processing in 2024. He has the supporting cast to do so.”
A year from now, we could be having a completely different conversation about where Richardson falls in these rankings. But admittedly, at this time, there are still unknowns given the small sample size we saw from Richardson during his rookie season, with injuries limiting him to only four games.
In those four games, Richardson had 98 dropbacks, completing 59.5 percent of his throws at 6.9 yards per attempt with three touchdowns to one interception. On the ground, he accumulated another 136 rushing yards and four more scores.
Through expected ups and downs, Richardson’s growth and big play abilities – both on the ground and through the air – were evident during last season’s limited sample size.
As a still relatively inexperienced player, some growing pains are still likely going to happen this season, but any potential learning curve is hopefully much shorter with Richardson’s added comfortability in Shane Steichen’s offense.
“He’s the same athletic Anthony that we know,” quarterbacks coach Cam Turner said. “But in the meeting room, it’s — he’s taking that step as far as the knowledge and the maturity of the question he’s asking now are the next level questions. As opposed to the questions he was asking a year ago were more basic. He’s definitely grown in our scheme and then identifying defenses as well.”
The ceiling for this Colts’ offense will be determined by Richardson’s play in 2024, but he won’t have to do it alone. Around him will be a top offensive line unit, along with Jonathan Taylor in the backfield and Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, and Adonai Mitchell at receiver.
