Anthony Richardson to Start Colts' Preseason Game vs. Bills; Josh Allen, Diggs Out

As the buzz for Anthony Richardon continues to build during training camp, the Indianapolis Colts are going to give the rookie quarterback his first start in their preseason opener.

Head coach Shane Steichen announced on Thursday that Richardson will start Saturday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

On the other side, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs won't play.

Allen and Diggs sitting out is hardly a surprise. They are established stars who don't need many preseason reps to be ready for the start of the season.

There was an unusual incident during Bills minicamp in June when Diggs didn't show up for one day of organized team activities. McDermott initially told reporters he was "very concerned" about the absence of his star wide receiver.

When Diggs reported to training camp last month, he downplayed any drama by saying "all is well in the Mafia household."

In the unofficial depth chart released on Tuesday, the Colts listed Richardson "OR" Gardner Minshew as the first-team quarterback.

Both quarterbacks have been splitting reps with the first-team offense throughout training camp.

While there is certainly going to be an evaluation period in the preseason, there would seem to be very little to gain by not going into the season with Richardson as the starting quarterback.

Minshew does have experience in Steichen's offense after spending the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played well in nine appearances during that span with 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, four interceptions and a 62.5 completion percentage.

But the Colts used the No. 4 pick on Richardson with the hope he will become a franchise quarterback so they can avoid the rotating group of players who have handled the job in the four years since Andrew Luck retired.

Richardson is also a player who needs game reps. He had just one full season as a starter at the University of Florida and attempted 393 pass attempts in his college career.

Per ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Richardson's 13 college starts are tied with Mitchell Trubisky for the fewest by a quarterback drafted in the first round since 2002.

Putting Richardson against a Bills defense, even if some of their key starters don't play, will be a good first test to see how ready he will be if Steichen names him the starter to open the regular season.

The Colts and Bills will play at Highmark Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.