The Indianapolis Colts understandably have high expectations for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who they selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida despite him starting in just 13 games and playing in just 22 total games in his college career.

After all, Richardson has not only a background that's reminiscent of former star quarterback Cam Newton but a build as well, especially with him bulking up to 255 pounds (per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer) and running a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. Nonetheless, while the Florida native's physical tools are impressive, Breer reports that “what Indy's liked since drafting him is how quickly he's picking things up.”

“Through spring and early in the summer, he’s been able to take in play calls and spit them out in the huddle,” Breer says, “which is something rookie quarterbacks often struggle with. That's a good sign on Richardson’s capacity to learn.”

“He's got a long, long way to go,” Breer adds, alluding to Richardsons relative lack of experience, “and Indy's still working through how much to play him in the preseason… Richardson is still in the “doesn't know what he doesn’t know” phase. But the more he sees, the faster he'll learn, and there’s plenty of reason to be excited about that, based on how he’s picking stuff up.”

The 2023 offseason hasn't been too kind to the Colts as of late in regard to the trade request made by star running back Jonathan Taylor and the broken arm suffered by fellow running back Zack Moss. However, that only enhances Indy's need for Richardson to navigate through his learning curve as quickly as possible, as veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew can't match the rookie's impact on the ground.