NFL execs grade Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, comparing to other rookie QBs

The NFL is three weeks into the 2023 NFL season, and it’s safe to say that Indianapolis Colts fans are excited. The team is currently 2-1, the best record in the AFC South, and many people believe that the franchise has found its quarterback in 2023 fourth-overall pick Anthony Richardson. The dual-threat rookie quarterback has Colts fans, and fans of the league, in general, excited about the future and the present.

Everyone has arrived to this excitement, despite the fact that Richardson has yet to finish a game. In Week 1, Richardson left the game in the final minutes after being bruised up on a physical run near the goal line. In Week 2, Richardson left the game early with a concussion, and also missed Week 3 because of that concussion.

In total, Anthony Richardson has played just 87 snaps. In those snaps, the rookie quarterback is completing 63.8% of his passes for 279 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Richardson has also added 75 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The promising moments in limited snaps makes it tough to give a complete evaluation of Richardson, but nevertheless, he’s being evaluated.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently spoke with several NFL execs and scouts, and asked them to evaluate the performances of the rookie quarterbacks so far. The evaluation came with a grade, and Anthony Richardson received a B, which was higher than Bryce Young’s C, and lower than CJ Stroud’s A-.

Anthony Richardson receives a B grade after early NFL action

When assessing Richardson’s performance, an NFL personnel director praised the rookie’s decision-making, and said that Indy’s offense is scary to defend because of the way that it’s being built around Richardson’s strengths. The biggest concern, of course, was Richardson staying healthy. However, according to Fowler, “Multiple execs also pointed out that Richardson is not quite polished yet in must-throw situations.”

Ultimately, Richardson was praised for what he’s been able to do on the field with his arm and his legs. This is just the start, but Richardson has started things off right. Hopefully, he’ll be able to do a better job of staying healthy moving forward, and continue developing into an elite quarterback.

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