Anthony Richardson is far from an elite passer right now. His impressive running ability is his biggest strength. Can the Indianapolis Colts youngster become one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks of all time?
That’s going to take time for that to happen. But Richardson is certainly on the right track. He showcased his running ability during Indy’s Week 16 win over the Tennessee Titans. The former fourth overall pick rushed for a career-high 70 yards in the game as the Colts ran for a franchise-record 335 yards.
With 499 yards this year, Richardson passed Mike Pagel (441 in 1983) for the most single-season rushing yards by a quarterback in Colts history. And his six rushing touchdowns passed Andrew Luck (five in 2012) for the most by a quarterback in franchise history.
Richardson has also produced a rushing touchdown in each of his last three games. That’s the NFL’s second-longest active streak by a quarterback (Josh Allen, five).
Anthony Richardson is only in his second NFL season. But he has the potential to emerge as a legendary rushing quarterback down the road.
Colts’ Anthony Richardson Can Become One of the Greatest Rushing QBs Ever
The Greatest Rushing Quarterbacks in NFL History
You can’t have a “Greatest Rushing Quarterback” list without the name Michael Vick. The new Norfolk State coach is one of the most exciting players of all time. Back in 2006, Vick became the first quarterback to ever rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He ran for 6,109 yards and 36 touchdowns during his illustrious career.
Speaking of 1,000-yard quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson has accomplished the feat twice: in 2019 and 2020. And with 852 rushing yards this season, he just might do it again this year. The current Baltimore Ravens star recently surpassed Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history. Jackson now has a whopping 6,110 career rushing yards.
Other notable rushers include Randall Cunningham, Fran Tarkenton, and Steve Young. And you can forget about guys like Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, and Josh Allen.
Anthony Richardson Has Accuracy Issues But Serves as Dynamic Rusher
Again, Anthony Richardson isn’t a great passer by any stretch of the imagination. This season, he has completed just 47.7% of his passes. He has also thrown more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (eight). No, that’s not very good at all. However, he’s only 22 years old. That means he still has much time to develop into a solid passer.
Josh Allen struggled early on in his career as well. He completed only 52.8% of his passes as a rookie in 2018. But now, he’s one of the league’s top quarterbacks and will likely win his first MVP award this season.
It remains to be seen whether Richardson’s accuracy will ever improve. In the meantime, he’ll continue to be a fantastic rusher. He’s super-athletic, fast and strong. At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, he’s electric in the open field, capable of making tacklers miss. He has a knack for breaking off long scrambles and then bulldozing through tackles for extra yardage. If Anthony Richardson can stay healthy, he could one day join Vick and Jackson as one of the greatest rushing QBs of all time.
Main Photo:Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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