He Indianapolis Colts they have been looking for a quarterback since Andrew Luck abruptly retired before the start of the 2019 season.
Since his retirement, the Colts have traded for carson wenz and Matt Ryan, and neither lasted more than one season.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson reacts after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth overall pick during the first round of the NFL draft on April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
With the opportunity to select a franchise-changing quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, Colts general manager Chris Ballard took a chance and selected Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick.
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His reasoning for the selection is quite straightforward.
«Sometimes you just have to try,» Ballard said in «The Next Pick» video series.
«I didn’t want to look up and see him be a superstar elsewhere» Ballard said. «If he’s going to be a superstar, he’s going to be a superstar for the Colts. Fortunately for us, it worked.»
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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Indianapolis made Richardson the third quarterback selected in the first four picks after Bryce Young and CJ Stroud went first and second in the draft.
The Florida product is considered to have a huge advantage even though he is a raw talent.
«Supremely talented. I’ve called him ‘the natural’ at some point. Just some of the things that he can do, very few people on earth can do,» offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said during the draft. «I think in the right environment, which I think we’re building here, he has the best possible chance of becoming that positive guy.»
An emotional Anthony Robinson reacts after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on April 27, 2023 at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Richardson did not have much experience at the college level, so he became a full-time starter in his final season in Florida.
He’ll be battling veteran Gardner Minshew and third-year pro Sam Ehlinger for the starting job next season.