Anthony Richardson reacts to being named Colts' starting quarterback

Rookie Anthony Richardson didn't expect to be named the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback after throwing just 12 passes in his preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills this past Saturday. 

"Honestly, I was shocked," Richardson said about the decision confirmed by head coach Shane Steichen earlier on Tuesday, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "I’ve been grinding, putting in the work to get the title, but it’s not really all about the title. I’m just trying to make sure I’m ready for the team. Despite being labeled as QB1, I’ve still got other guys in the room helping me to get to that standard. I’m forever thankful for them. I appreciate them and I’m glad I did get the nod and have the trust of everybody in the building." 

It was widely thought throughout the summer that Richardson, the fourth overall pick of this year's draft, would sit and learn behind veteran Gardner Minshew for at least a portion of the upcoming season due to the fact that the raw 21-year-old recorded just 13 college starts while with the Florida Gators. 

For his "Football Morning in America" column published on Monday, NBC Sports' Peter King labeled Richardson as "the most likely" of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round earlier this year to begin the 2023 campaign as a backup. 

Richardson tossed an ugly and avoidable interception early in Saturday's matchup against Buffalo but bounced back and ultimately completed seven of 12 passes for 67 yards. 

"Anthony's just been progressing," Steichen said about Richardson, as shared by Stephen Holder of ESPN. "The growth he's shown, then, obviously, going into Buffalo, playing against a lot of their starters, he showed great signs of improvement. I like the things he did, and it's an opportunity now for him to get a lot more with the [starters] moving forward, and we go from there."

For better or for worse, Richardson will take full control of the offense when the Colts open the regular season with a home game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 10. As of Tuesday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the Colts as four-point underdogs for that contest.