Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was just 20 years old when he made it to the NFL. Even at such a young age, Richardson made sure to prove himself by showing his skills that made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. By the time he turned 21, he found himself leading a team filled with seasoned veterans. While rookies often struggle to find their place in the league, Richardson had more than his own quarterbacking on his hands, and this didn’t come easy to him.
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Reflecting back on his experience, Anthony Richardson shared his initial challenges with Jeff Teague and the guys on the ‘Club 520 Podcast.’ Richardson stated that it was initially challenging to assert himself among players with far more experience. He emphasized that as a quarterback, people naturally look to you to make things happen on offense. However, his youth and inexperience made the situation a bit different.
“It was a little different at first when I first got here. I was only 20 years old. You got people in here with four kids, a wife, and they’ve been in the league for 11 years. It felt strange to tell a grown man what to do if he wasn’t doing it the right way,” recounted the Colts QB.
Despite the initial discomfort, Richardson understood his role as a quarterback meant others would listen to him to some extent.
“I know my position; I know everybody is going to have eyes on me, and they want to listen to me. But since I was a rookie and young, I had to sit back and learn sometimes,” Richardson explained.
Anthony Richardson spent time absorbing knowledge from veteran teammates like Zaire Franklin, Shaquille Leonard, and DeForest Buckner and this also assisted him in giving a power-packed performance from the start.
Anthony Richardson Discusses His Hurdles as an NFL Rookie
As a rookie, Anthony Richardson shone with his potential in the NFL but not without facing his set of challenges. The quarterback completed 59.5% of his passes with an average of 6.9 yards per attempt and 5.4 yards per carry, being limited by an injury. Despite having a short four-game run, his first game was an unforgettable experience for him.
Reflecting on his early experiences, Anthony Richardson described his first game along with the challenges and growth he faced.
“I had a real conversation with the kids maybe about a month ago on my team. I was like, man, a lot of you ain’t got no better than last year. I can pull out film from last year because I’ve been doing this for three years now, and my year one team was trash. We got hit in the mouth a couple of times; we had to see what was out there.”
Richardson’s initial struggles fueled his determination to improve and build a stronger team around him. Now with his NFL journey progressing, Richardson’s commitment to growth and team development remains undeterred. His first season, though brief, laid the foundation for what promises to be an exciting career, which will be visible in the upcoming season once again.
