When Anthony Richardson captivated scouts and fans with his historic athleticism at the NFL Combine earlier in the year, many instantly tapped him to be the next great mobile quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts are banking on that type of upside after selecting him with the No. 4 overall pick. However, the very questions that hovered above the former Florida star remain in his NFL rookie campaign.
Richardson has completed less than 60 percent of his pass attempts and is already struggling to stay healthy. He injured his shoulder in the Colts' win over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday and is now going to miss one-to-two months of action. Despite those red flags, the 21-year-old has flashed some promise when on the field. He particularly impressed in his debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing for 223 yards and rushing for 40 more and a touchdown.
Michael Vick, the man who really sparked this mobile QB revolution, sees an abundance of promise in Richardson- enough to make some bold player comparisons.
“I think Anthony can be Jalen Hurts. I think he can be Kyler Murray. I think he can be Cam Newton,” Vick told Fox Sports' Ben Arthur. “[He can be] a productive quarterback who can be a dual threat at all times and be a nightmare for defenses — as he gets comfortable, as he gets more snaps.”
Can Colts' Anthony Richardson reach MVP-level heights?
Although one of those aforementioned quarterbacks has not yet achieved anything close to the other two, being mentioned among such a talented group is obviously quite the compliment for Indy's new franchise pillar. Vick has been around football for a long time and is constantly asked to weigh in whenever the next ultra athletic signal-caller arrives on the scene. But Richardson is still far too raw for one to confidently predict an MVP crown or Super Bowl appearance in his future. The four-time Pro Bowler knows as much.
“He came out of Florida a little early and is kind of learning on the fly now,” Vick said. “The sky's the limit for him. I think to make a quarterback great, he has to be with the right offensive mind and I think {head coach} Shane Steichen knows exactly what he's doing and he's proving it. So he landed in a good spot. It's just going to take a couple years to know what Anthony Richardson's talent will truly be.”
To Vick's point, both Cam Newton and Jalen Hurts ascended to new levels after early struggles. The problem is, though, they each displayed more passing prowess in college than Anthony Richardson. The Gators' offensive talent played a role in that, but there are many kinks to still work out.
Richardson seemed to be on his way to his best game yet versus the Titans (9-for-12 passing) before getting injured. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait several weeks to see if he can build off that performance.
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