With less than a month before the regular season began, the Indianapolis Colts announced Anthony Richardson as their starter.
This decision was met with equal parts of praise and criticism.
Richardson was a highly-regarded quarterback prospect, but many have questioned his ability to succeed in year one.
Emmanuel Acho recently discussed this situation on ‘Speak’ on FS1.
Regarding this announcement, Acho said, “This is the worst decision that the Colts could make.”
.@EmmanuelAcho: Starting Anthony Richardson is the worst decision that the Colts could make. pic.twitter.com/ulNIDFDTt9
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) August 15, 2023
He went on to defend this take, saying, “If you have a player that is not ready to play, allow him to learn from the mistakes of others.”
There are several examples of quarterbacks taken with high draft capital who have sat behind a veteran for at least one season.
Aaron Rodgers sat behind Brett Favre, and Patrick Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith.
Both situations turned out well, which many attribute to these players getting acclimated to the NFL and their respective teams.
Acho believes Richardson isn’t set up for success in year one, as he doesn’t have a veteran to learn from.
He discussed Joe Burrow as the only current starting QB who was given the keys to an offense in their first season, finding instant success.
This was an anomaly, and Acho is worried that Richardson won’t have a similar fate.
The Colts are coming off a 4-12-1 record, and have a lot of ground to cover entering the 2023 season.
Can Richardson rise above the public noise, proving that he’s ready to contribute in his rookie campaign for the Colts?
NEXT:
Colin Cowherd Compares Anthony Richardson To 3 Outstanding QBs
