Colts' Richardson: I won't change style despite injury-plagued rookie season
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson flashed potential in his first month in the NFL, but his rookie season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury.
Despite playing only 12 quarters across four games in Year 1, the 2023 No. 4 overall pick - who also missed a game due to a concussion - said he doesn't plan to change his playing style as a dual-threat QB.
"It's just a matter of me just being out there and just learning when to get down, when not to get down," Richardson said Thursday, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder. "Some of the injuries were unfortunate. My ankle got stepped on, hitting my knee on the turf really hard. Just stuff like that. Stuff that I can't control."
However, Richardson added he could've done things differently to avoid the issues that sidelined him in 2023.
"The (injuries) that I can control, I've got to prevent those," the Florida product added. "Like me slowing up near the end zone, getting a concussion, that was completely on me. Getting tackled (against the Tennessee Titans), I can't really prevent that. I was trying to brace myself for it, and just unfortunately, my shoulder just did what it did. But I don't think I have to change the way I play. Just being a little smarter."
Richardson had a 59.5% pass completion rate to go along with 577 yards and three touchdowns against one interception before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on his throwing shoulder following Week 5 versus the Titans. He also added 136 yards and four TDs on the ground.
The Colts lost their win-and-in matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 18 and missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Richardson said Indianapolis would've advanced to the postseason had he not suffered the season-ending ailment.
"I do believe if I did play, we go to the playoffs, but even when I didn't play, we had opportunities to go to the playoffs. ... Playoffs (are) right there in our hands; we just have to execute every play," he said, according to NFL.com's Eric Edholm.
Richardson, who's expected to start throwing again next month, was the third quarterback drafted in 2023 after Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.