Colts HC: Anthony Richardson Won't Be Limited as Runner; Compares QB to Steph Curry

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen doesn't intend to hold back when it comes to giving second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson designed running plays.

"Are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting three-pointers?" Steichen asked reporters Thursday.

Richardson ran the ball 25 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie in 2023.

It didn't take long for Indianapolis to see the added risk that can come with giving a quarterback more freedom to run out of the pocket.

Richardson suffered a concussion in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans and then landed hard on his right shoulder during a Week 5 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The latter required season-ending surgery.

In January, the 6'4", 244-pound signal-caller said he had learned a valuable lesson.

"I can't try to run through everybody," he told reporters. "If it's 1st-and-10, get what I can get and get down, get out of bounds, get to the sidelines, do what I can do. But if the game is on the line, I gotta go out there and compete. It's just a matter of being smart for myself and the team. I'm gonna try to do that for sure."

Richardson reiterated that goal Thursday and said having running back Jonathan Taylor, who was out for the first four weeks in 2023, in the backfield will work to his benefit.

Richardson's running ability was obviously a key selling point to his game when he entered the NFL. He totaled 1,055 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in his two years as a starter at Florida, and he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Using the 2023 first-round pick exclusively as a pocket passer would be squandering his potential, but the coaching staff won't want to overtax him physically. Finding a happy medium is the goal for Steichen, while Richardson will need to better understand when and when not to fight for extra yards.