Shane Steichen Reveals Thoughts on Anthony Richardson's 1st Day

How did Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson look on his first day of training camp?

There are big expectations for rookie-quarterback Anthony Richardson heading into the 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts.

New head coach Shane Steichen is pleased with what he's seen so far and will continue to make Richardson's transition from college to the NFL as easy as possible.

“I thought he did a nice job,” said Steichen on Richardson's first day. “What he did in the spring, learning the system, and then carrying over into today, I thought he made some good plays.”

“Obviously we were down there in the tight red zone, so we didn’t have deep balls or anything, but making the right decisions and making the right reads, he did a nice job.”

With his size at 6’4 and 245 pounds and speed, working short yardage situations might be the biggest advantage Richardson has early in the season. He can get to a hole quickly in an RPO and move a pile with his size and strength.

Steichen modeled his first practice to get Richardson to trust his instincts by going fast.

“With any young quarterback,” Steichen continued, “when you play fast with young quarterbacks, it definitely helps. They don’t have to think about too much stuff. Obviously, we’re in the huddle today, but we have a system where we can get in and out of the huddle [quickly] and do those different things.”

Gardner Minshew was signed to provide insurance for Richardson. There’s a chance he could be the starter to open the season. Does Steichen have a time table for when he wants to name a starter?

“I don’t have a time table on that,” said Steichen when asked if there was an optimal time to have a starter named. “I just want to see consistency and growth from all that position. When you compete, it makes you better. So when that time comes, I’ll know, we’ll talk through it as a staff and go from there.”

Steichen isn't ready to name a starter, but all indications point towards when, not if, Richardson takes over as QB1 for the Colts.