Colts veterans are raving about Anthony Richardson after the first week of OTAs

With Anthony Richardson taking first team reps for the Indianapolis Colts in OTAs, the rookie quarterback is impressing his veteran teammates.

The Indianapolis Colts have started OTAs, so that means the majority of the team has been on the field competing in spring practices. While this is a great time for everyone to get better acquainted with Indy’s new coaching staff, the main focus will be how the Colts rookies are adjusting— specifically, quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Richardson was selected by Indianapolis with the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Considering his position and where he was drafted, he’ll be under a constant spotlight. Add in the fact that the Colts have desperately been searching for consistent and quality quarterback play since Andrew Luck retired, and it’s clear why everyone wants to know how Richardson is doing.

By all accounts, Richardson has had a great start to his professional career. Colts head coach Shane Steichen revealed that Richardson was splitting first-team reps with Gardner Minshew, and that the rookie was doing “next-level stuff.” Now, it’s Richardson’s veteran teammates that are praising the young QB.

Anthony Richardson is making plays in Colts OTAs

Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin, in an appearance on Good Morning Football earlier in the offseason, explained that he was excited about Richardson but hadn’t had the chance to compete against him yet since OTAs had not yet started. However, now that OTAs have started and Richardson is competing with the rest of the team, Franklin is impressed.

In a recent appearance on the Jim Rome Show, Franklin explained how he loves Anthony Richardson’s work ethic, before eventually going on to say that Richardson has been making some plays, and that he believes he has everything to be special.

Franklin wasn’t the only veteran offering praise. Isaiah McKenzie, who’s also new to the Colts, recently joined Lawrence Owen on the BLEAV in Colts podcast and had some nice things to say about his rookie quarterback.

McKenzie echoed Franklin’s statements, explaining that Richardson is a coachable young player that works hard. As far as how he’s looked on the field, McKenzie said that Richardson “has a great arm, great size, can run, and he’s done a lot of good things these past few days,” explaining that he’s been accurate and good with his reads.

Although it’s still extremely early, and only the first week of OTAs, you can’t hope for a better early report on a first-round quarterback. As the offseason progresses, the hope is that Richardson can continue to impress his veteran teammates, earn the starting job, and help the Colts win games.

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