Colts’ Jonathan Taylor says Anthony Richardson will make life ‘scary’ for opposing defenses

It’s safe to say that Jonathan Taylor is a fan of Anthony Richardson. The Colts‘ former All-Pro running back recently opened up about his team’s new quarterback, who was selected with the fourth overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. 

Taylor is hoping that Richardson provides much-needed stability to a position that has been a revolving door since Andrew Luck’s sudden 2019 retirement. More so, Taylor is optimistic that Richardson — who made plays with his arm as well as his legs during his final season at Florida — will become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks while in the process making Indianapolis’ offense one of the league’s more dynamic units. 

“If you look at his skill set, the sky’s the limit for him,” Taylor said of Richardson during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. “Now it’s all about coming in and absorbing the coaching aspect of it. He has to absorb the little nuggets of knowledge that our veterans are going to offer him.

“I know that’s what helped me when I was a rookie in this league. That’s how I came into my own. If he does that, the sky’s the limit for Anthony Richardson.” 

Taylor compared Richardson to former league MVP Cam Newton and current Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Richardson grew up trying to pattern his game off of Newton, who in 2011 had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history with 4,000 passing yards and 38 total touchdowns. Hurts is coming off of a 2022 season that saw him lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. He scored four touchdowns in Philadelphia’s three-point loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. 

Taylor feels that Richardson can have similar success in Indianapolis. 

“With today’s NFL coaching, Richardson will take the mental component of his game to the next level,” Taylor said. “Coach Shane Steichen is a tremendous guy for our job. Like I mentioned earlier, as long as he [Richardson] comes in willing to absorb the information, it’s going to get real scary out there on the field for opposing defenses.”

It wasn’t too long ago when Taylor was a first-round pick tasked with helping revive a dormant offense. After a slow start, Taylor finished his rookie season with 1,169 rushing yards while averaging five yards-per-carry. His success helped the Colts make the playoffs during their only season with Philip Rivers under center. 

Taylor said that he will do his part in making sure that Richardson can have similar success during his rookie season. 

“I’m letting Richardson know that I’m here and I have his back no matter what the case may be,” he said. “Whether that means running RPOs, in pass protection, or if he needs somebody as an outlet in the passing game. It could just mean me being efficient in the run game for him.

“We’re all here to help out whoever starts at quarterback for us. That’s how we’re designing this offense. Specifically with Richardson as a rookie, we need to make sure this is a comfortable environment for him.”