Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is warning the NFL that his best is yet to come following his season-ending right shoulder injury during his rookie year.
The 21-year-old demonstrated promise in his ground game during his four-game stint prior to his injury, after being drafted fourth overall by Indianapolis in last year's NFL Draft. Richardson, who's been throwing for a couple of months now, is set to return when the 2024 NFL season kicks off in September, and has promised fans and rival players alike that they haven't seen his full potential yet.
"People didn't really get to see everything I could do on the field," he explained. "So, it's kind of like a rookie season for me still. But now I've gained a lot more knowledge and understanding about football and the NFL.
"So, I'm a rookie at heart, but now I'm slowly turning into the leader that my team needs me to be. I'm ready for every opportunity that's in front of me."
While Richardson was recovering, the Colts relied on Gardner Minshew, leading the team to a 9-8 finish and third position in the highly competitive AFC South behind the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. The Colts' playoff aspirations last year were dashed in their final game of the season against Houston, where they were beaten 23-19.
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Head coach Shane Steichen is already buzzing with anticipation for Richardson's comeback. "You could see even when he played this year early on, he had a really good feel where to go with the football," Steichen expressed.
"And it might not be his first read, but it would be a guy on a jet motion, and it's like, I'm going to throw an over - oh my gosh, no one coverage that guy on the jet motion. He popped one against Tennessee early to Downs, and Downs went down the sideline for (15). And I was like, oh, they didn't cover him, he saw it too and was like here, ball.
Anthony Richardson says NFL fans didn't get to see the best of him last season (Getty)"That's playing quarterback. He knows that stuff, which is huge, which helps as coaches - like that processing speed of, oh, you guys busted here, ball, " Steichen added: "I like where he's at. He's progressing really, really well. He's just getting better and better. Looking forward to that spring with him."
The Colts' training camp is slated to kick off in July and run through August up to the opening game of the season in early September. Indianapolis, like every other NFL franchise, will contest pre-season games and potential joint workouts with other teams to ramp up preparations for 2024.
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