Dan Orlovsky throws caution at Anthony Richardson to ease pace after blown plays in Colts debut - "He should slow down"

Anthony Richardson was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He's one of the most exciting quarterback prospects in the entire NFL, mostly due to his incredibly unique athletic abilities for the position.

Everyone around the NFL has been patiently awaiting his highly anticipated debut with the Colts to see how his skillset translates.

The Colts opened their 2023 NFL preseason schedule against the Buffalo Bills in a difficult Week 1 matchup. While many projected starters sit out during the early games of the preseason, Anthony Richardson gets his first taste of NFL action.

While it was only an exhibition, his performance was a bit disappointing. He totaled just 74 yards and threw an interception without a touchdown.

Former quarterback and current NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky recently had some advice for the Colts' rookie during a "Pat McAfee Show" episode:

"Anthony, if I was going to give you two words, what I would say to Anthony Richardson, 'Slow down.' He's very energetic, almost antsy, and I think that's just the natural nerves. I think the interception was a completely blown play by everybody."

"He'll learn from it. I love to see him play through it. And I think that's a blown play by multiple people on their offense, not just him. I think he's trying to throw the football away and he'll probably learn from that."

Orlovsky encouraged Richardson to "slow down" and stop trying to force big plays, but instead just let them develop organically. It's not uncommon to see players struggle during the preseason, especially rookies.

The idea is for Richardson to try to get up to NFL speed prior to their Week 1 game of the 2023 NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

What makes Anthony Richardson such an exciting NFL prospect?

Anthony Richardson

When the Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they were surely taking a gamble.

His college football career was mediocre, at best, during his time with the Florida Gators. It was truly his elite athleticism and massively high ceiling that drew the Colts to Richardson.

The best example of his athletic upside was on full display during the 2023 NFL Combine. He ran a scorching 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, while setting records in the jumping measurements.

He also has a massive frame to back it up, at 6'4" tall and weighing 244 pounds. If it all comes together for him, Richardson has a great potential to supersede his peers.