Anthony Richardson is just days away from making his regular-season NFL debut with the Indianapolis Colts. As the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft, expectations are high for the exciting dual-threat quarterback out of Florida.
Growing pains will be expected too, but some NFL personnel, namely the Colts’ Week 1 opponent, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, is already comparing Richardson to a former MVP.
“I mean, it’s tough. You think of him, you think of Cam Newton — these are big, physical, strong quarterbacks that can also throw the football. And they’re athletic. It is a challenge. So each quarterback who can — when you watch the tape, he can break arm tackles. And then he can run for 15, 20, 30, 40 yards and beat you with his legs.”
Doug Pederson on Anthony Richardson
Many have compared Richardson to Newton, who won MVP during his time with the Carolina Panthers in 2015. Both QBs have a ridiculous amount of arm strength and are built to withstand a hit or two when bowling through defenders on the run too. But it’s not Coach Pederson’s first time game-planning against a mobile QB.
“You definitely go back and watch [college tape], just to see who he is and how [Richardson] operates,” Pederson said. “And then you go back and watch his preseason tape. And then you go back and watch some of the Philly stuff — what they did with Jalen [Hurts]. Maybe you even go back and watch a little bit of Daniel Jones a little bit because some of their coaches have worked with him. And just see how these different QB runs can affect the game.”
The Jaguars, who are coming off a playoff appearance in Coach Pederson’s first season in Jacksonville, will be on the road in Week 1, traveling to Lucas Oil Stadium, where Shane Steichen makes his head coaching debut.
Related: Where does Anthony Richardson rank among starting QBs right now?