Colts HC Shane Steichen Says Anthony Richardson's Big-Play Ability 'Fires Me Up'

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is a work in progress based on the NFL preseason, but head coach Shane Steichen remains excited about the rookie's potential.

"Just the big-play ability [Richardson] has fires me up," Steichen said to The MMQB's Albert Breer.

Richardson was a combined 13-of-29 for 145 yards and one interception in his two preseason appearances. He also ran for 45 yards on seven carries.

Preseason production typically isn't all that instructive, and that's especially true for a draftee who only had one full season of starting experience under his belt in college.

Instead, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter took positives from less tangible metrics such as Richardson's response to his interception in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills. Cooter told Breer the young signal-caller "handled it like a pro."

"He was calm, he got his notes, he realized the mistake he made and what actually happened to encourage him to make that mistake," the coordinator said. "And he learned from it. He said to the receiver, basically, 'That's my fault, that's my fault.' The great quarterbacks all kind of take accountability for everything, right? Hey, that's my fault, that's on me, I'll get it fixed. And shoot, he was ready to go."

Heading into the 2023 NFL draft, one belief surrounding Richardson was that whatever team selected him might give him a more gradual transition into the starting role. However, the Colts made it pretty clear early on that wouldn't be the case.

As a result, the 21-year-old is bound to have some moments when he looks every bit like a first-year player figuring things out in the NFL. But he'll also probably deliver some highlights that fully justify why he was the No. 4 overall pick.