Will Anthony Richardson start immediately for the Colts? | You Pod To Win The Game

Yahoo Sports NFL reporters Charles Robinson, Jori Epstein and Frank Schwab break down the Florida quarterback and whether he is ready to make an instant impact for Indianapolis. Hear the full conversation on You Pod To Win The Game. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

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CHARLES ROBINSON: I think the next player we got to get to is Anthony Richardson going four to Indianapolis and setting up, I guess, the Will Levis fall throughout the night. Will Levis, obviously, doesn't get drafted, the Kentucky quarterback, in the first round. But Richardson ends up going four.

I want to know where you guys are coming in on this. But I can just tell you, coming out of the combine and really throughout this process, what I've heard over and over and over about Anthony Richardson is monumentally talented, no question. Big arm, huge athleticism, size, everything he brings to the table, but really, really, really, really needs a redshirt year, really needs a year to be taught quarterback at the NFL level with a coaching staff that's going to work with him for every single day, every single month, have a plan in place to grow him into the position.

And then he goes to Indianapolis, where I guess Gardner Minshew-- I mean, look. Gardner Minshew could man the team for the entire year. But do we realistically believe-- in Indianapolis, of all places-- that that feels safe, and Anthony Richardson's really going to actually go through 2023 without breaking that seal?

FRANK SCHWAB: I was hoping he was going to go to Seattle or Detroit for those very reasons. Because those teams could. They had the extra picks to draft a guy like that. They got a veteran in place where you could say, Anthony, sit this one out. We're fine.

But in Indianapolis, I'm not sure they can do that with Gardner Minshew. What if they're 2-9? Are you really going to keep sitting Anthony Richardson? Because we're going to see him in pre-season do some crazy things. He's legitimately-- the moment he got drafted, he became the most physically impressive quarterback in the NFL. That's legit. He had the best combine ever for a quarterback.

And I actually love the fit. I think he's going to be-- I love the Colts swinging big. I love the Colts saying, you know what? Yep, he might be playing in the XFL in two years. We don't care. He also might be MVP in two years. We're willing to take that chance. He's got that upside.

And Chris Ballard, in listening to his press conference today after the draft, he was laying the groundwork for hey, sometimes quarterbacks need a year or two. I think he even said three years, at some point. He was like, look at Terry Bradshaw-- going back to a 50-year-old example, but whatever-- of a guy who needs time. He was laying that groundwork.

His exact quote was, hey, let's not expect this kid to be Superman on day one. So they're already laying the groundwork that Gardner's going to play a lot. But man, the pull is going to be strong. When it's Halloween, and you're not really winning, and Gardner's not playing that well.

CHARLES ROBINSON: Your owner's Irsay.

FRANK SCHWAB: Your owner's a little unhinged at times, as we know. I don't know that they could do it. So, on one had, I love the fit. I love the team that he went to. Because the Colts have a lot of talent for a team drafted in the top five. The cupboard's not bare there. He's not going to the Houston Texans. He's going to a team that could be pretty good around the quarterback.

But yet, I agree with you, Charles. He needs a year. And I don't know. we'll see how that plays out. But I love the Colts swinging big here. Because I think, hey, if you're going to go big, go big. Don't go halfway on this. And Richardson's the type of guy who, man, he could be really, really good down the road.