The Indianapolis Colts made two major additions this offseason. The first was hiring Shane Steichen as the team’s next head coach, and the other was drafting quarterback Anthony Richardson with the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite both guys being rookies, everyone feels that they are perfect for each other.
All throughout the pre-draft process, analysts said that Richardson has an incredibly high ceiling but he’ll need the right coach to help him develop and reach that ceiling. Steichen, who’s a first-time head coach, built his name as an offensive coordinator with a tremendous reputation for developing young quarterbacks. In the last few seasons, Steichen has helped Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts become top QBs in the league.
Steichen will now try to do the same with Richardson, who has many of the same traits as Hurts. Recently, Shane Steichen sat down with The 33rd Team, and explained some of the keys to helping young QBs develop; sharing how he’s helping Anthony Richardson get prepared to thrive in the NFL.
"I think once you can really master the system, you don't have to think as much."#Colts HC Shane Steichen dives into what goes into developing young quarterbacks in the NFL #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/cEmkDhup7H
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) July 19, 2023
Shane Steichen is making sure he doesn’t overwhelm Anthony Richardson
Steichen said the biggest thing for young quarterbacks is to not overload their mind with information. You want all players to play fast and not have to think too much, especially at quarterback, and that’s why Steichen is adamant about bringing young quarterbacks along slowly from an information standpoint.
That answer was in response to a question about improving Richardson’s completion percentage, something the QB was criticized for coming out of college. Steichen explained that the answer is mostly between the ears, with quarterbacks playing fast and thinking less, completing open passes.
As important as not overloading a young quarterback like Richardson with information is, Steichen also expressed that completely knowing the system is when a young QB really takes their biggest leap and starts to play extremely well. So while Steichen is gradually teaching Richard the offense, the goal is to arrive at mastery sooner rather than later, so that Anthony Richardson can dominate the league.