Right now, 2023 NFL draft prospect Anthony Richardson is a self-salesman as much as he is a quarterback—even if that means putting himself above his childhood idol.
On Friday, shortly after he held court at the combine, the 21-year-old joined CBS Sports HQ to discuss his transition to the pros. When asked who he’d compare his game to, Richardson went with the same answer he did during his presser.
“Growing up, that guy was always Cam Newton for me,” he said. “That’s always been the guy I look up to.”
Former NFL general manager Rick Spielman, who was seated next to Richardson on the set, then pressed the young passer—asking if he believes he’s a better thrower than Newton. Richardson sided with himself.
“I believe so,” he replied.
Spielman then added his two cents.
“I agree with that,” he said. “Everybody wants to make the Cam Newton comparison because of the size, the athleticism, how you make plays with your feet. But I think he’s a better thrower coming out than Cam Newton was.”
Perhaps the tape gives Spielman that perception. The stats, however, paint a completely different picture.
Newton—in his Heisman Trophy-winning, national championship-capturing campaign of 2010—completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 2,854 yards, 30 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 10.2 yards per attempt and 11.2 air yards per attempt. Richardson, this past season, connected on 53.8 percent of his throws for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 7.8 yards per attempt and 7.6 air yards per attempt.
We’ll give Richardson a pass on this one, because can you really blame him for exuding confidence during the draft process? Of course not.
But maybe we should put a little more respect on Cam’s name.
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