The Indianapolis Colts have gone through many quarterbacks since the franchise was rocked to its core by the sudden retirement of superstar quarterback Andrew Luck in 2019.
Although the team made some solid moves to fill the void under center the last few years, with the franchise bringing in veterans like Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan, the Colts have had enough of past-their-prime veterans.
As a result of the shifting away from short-term fixes, the Colts have drafted a potential franchise quarterback in the form of former University of Florida star Anthony Richardson, who the team selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Although Richardson may be the long-term answer for the Colts, he’ll still have to beat out Gardner Minshew during the team’s training camp to be the Week 1 starter, but former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck believes the former Gators star needs to start immediately via NFL on ESPN.
Tim Hasselbeck thinks Anthony Richardson has to see the field ASAP 😤
"Let's just agree right now, he's gonna make mistakes. … If he can learn from them and not have them happen again, then all that potential Jonathan Taylor is talking about, then we'll see it sooner." pic.twitter.com/QNKkgHtFEr
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 9, 2023
Unless a rookie quarterback’s talent and potential are undeniable, like Luck back in 2012, the first-year professional almost always has to beat out a veteran for the starting job ahead of Week 1, which will likely be the case in Indianapolis.
Richardson is one of those rookie quarterbacks that gets a lot of praise for his size and athleticism, which can be a sign of the next Lamar Jackson, but it could also be a sign of the next Tim Tebow.
Obviously, the Colts were confident enough in Richardson that they chose to use a high first-round pick on him, but only time will tell whether he’s the next Jackson or Tebow.
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