Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen may have been watching too many of Anthony Richardson’s basketball highlights this summer.
The Colts’ second-year quarterback is entering what will hopefully be his first full campaign in Indy after suffering a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5 last year. Richardson has since undergone surgery to repair his shoulder and was held out of the final day of June’s minicamp practice due to soreness.
Fast forward to the start of Colts’ training camp, and spirits in Indy couldn’t be higher. Steichen spoke briefly about Richardson’s Year 2 campaign, noting that he believes the former No. 4 pick will make “plays that people haven’t seen before”—not too unlike a certain prolific sharpshooter in the NBA.
Steichen made a surprising comparison between Richardson and Golden State Warriors star guard Steph Curry that turned some heads at training camp on Thursday.
“People ask this a lot, like, ‘Hey, are you gonna limit the run game?’” Steichen said. “And I kind of think like, ‘Shoot, are you gonna limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers?’ Well, that’s one of Anthony’s strengths, right? So we’re not gonna get away from that. That’s what he does well.”
Last season, Richardson became the first quarterback in NFL history to record a rushing touchdown in each of his first three career starts. The Florida product threw for 577 yards and three touchdowns at a 59.5% pass completion clip and added 25 carries for 136 yards and four rushing touchdowns through four games.
Despite Richardson’s small sample size, it’s no wonder Steichen and the rest of the Colts are excited to see their potential franchise quarterback back on the field paired with All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor this fall. As long as he stays healthy, Richardson can help Indy make a resurgence in what is shaping up to be a fiercely competitive AFC South, a division the Colts haven’t clinched since 2014.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Colts’ Shane Steichen Used Perfect Stephen Curry Analogy for Anthony Richardson.
