Jim Irsay Told 'Superhero' Anthony Richardson: Colts 'Not Drafting Olympic Athletes'

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay needed some convincing to bet on Anthony Richardson as the franchise's quarterback of the future.

Speaking to The Athletic's James Boyd, Irsay explained Richardson has "superhero" skills but said he's talked to the young signal-caller about translating those attributes into playing in the NFL.

"No quarterback has brought those skills to the table, that athletic testing," Irsay said. "Anthony and I have talked a long time about that, but we really talked more about being a great quarterback and what that really means in this league because we're not drafting Olympic athletes. We're drafting football players."

Boyd noted Colts head coach Shane Steichen helped convince Irsay to select Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft.

Richardson's talent has been tantalizing since he was a college recruit coming out of Eastside High School in 2020. He was a 4-star prospect when he committed to Florida, per 247Sports.

Despite the upside in his skill set, Richardson struggled to turn it into production on the field in college. The 21-year-old threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions and completed 53.8 percent of his attempts last year in his only season as the full-time starter.

Richardson's testing numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine showed he's one of the best athletes at the position the league has ever seen.

Steichen will be tasked with molding Richardson's talent into on-field performance. He has a history of success in that area based on his work as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator over the past two seasons.

Jalen Hurts went from a limited passer in 2021 to finishing second in NFL MVP voting and leading the Eagles to Super Bowl 57 last season.

If Richardson follows a similar trajectory working with Steichen, the Colts will have finally found the long-term answer at quarterback they have been searching for since Andrew Luck retired in August 2019.