Anthony Richardson impresses in NFL debut, Colts still fall to Jags

Anthony Richardson traded in his Orange and Blue jersey to join the Indianapolis Colts. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick shined in his debut.

Former Florida quarterback and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson made his NFL debut on Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts.

Richardson, a 13-game starter for the Gators, completed 24 of 37 pass attempts for 223 yards and one touchdown in a 31-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries and found the end zone with his feet. Richardson went down in the final minutes with an apparent injury, but he and Colts head coach Shane Steichen didn’t seem too concerned after the game.

“I’m all right,” Richardson said. “More so hurt that we lost than my knee, but other than that, I’m good. I’ve just got to get to the drawing board and focus on next week.”

The Colts and Richardson both landed in USA TODAY Sports’ winners’ column following Week 1 action, and the latter led all fantasy quarterbacks in the early window on Sunday.

Although many expected Richardson to be a project quarterback in the NFL — Florida fans included — he’s proving to be a capable signal caller early. One week doesn’t cement things in stone, but the doubters are likely combing through their social media pages and deleting anything unsavory at this point.

There’s still a whole career to go, but Richardson made Gator Nation proud in his debut.

PHOTOS: Highlights from Anthony Richardson’s first regular-season start

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