The Indianapolis Colts have named rookie QB Anthony Richardson their opening-day starter, taking some time to review his preseason debut and then announcing their decision on Tuesday, August 15th.
Richardson was fine but not outstanding in his preseason action but coach Shane Steichen clearly saw enough to be convinced that the fourth overall pick from this year's draft is the right man to lead the Colts offense. Richardson hopes to end the dubious streak of Indianapolis having a different week-one starter every single year, a streak that has gone on for seven years now, dating back to 2017 when then-starter Andrew Luck missed the entire season before playing the final year of his short career in 2018.
Luck was the last rookie quarterback to start for the Colts, putting together an impressive 11-5 record in 2012 after being the first overall pick in the draft.
With the rookie Richardson looking to bring back some stability to the quarterback position and increase the Colts playoff chances, BetKentucky decided to look at every rookie QB to start for the Colts since they moved to Indianapolis in 1984 to see how they fared and to see what expectations Colts fans and bettors can have for Richardson.
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Colts Rookie QB History
Below you'll find stats on Colts' rookie quarterbacks and how they played their first season. Some information that can be useful if you are wagering on Anthony Richardson on Kentucky betting apps.
Colts Rookie QBs Typically Struggle
There have been six rookie QBs to start for the Colts since 1984, with all but Kelly Holcomb seeing significant playing time.
Only Luck and Chris Chandler guided the Colts to winning seasons in their first year, with Luck and Peyton Manning being the only starters to play all 16 games and to throw for more than 20 touchdowns. With Richardson expected to play all the games this season, the 20-touchdown benchmark seems to be a reasonable one that Colts fans will hope to see him surpass.
Manning’s Super Bowl winning career is certainly one to want to emulate, but his first year definitely came with struggles, as the legendary QB threw 28 interceptions and put up a 3-13 record.
Expectations for Richardson’s first season seem to be in line with this record and not Luck’s 11-5 record as the Colts Super Bowl odds are at +15000, the third longest odds in the league at Kentucky DraftKings Sportsbook. Luck, who was Manning's replacement, put up his strong record in 2012 with a much better team around him as the Colts simply lacked a QB the year prior due to a season-ending injury for Manning.
The Colts have a strong history of seeing rookie starters turn into superstar players and Richardson certainly has the potential to do the same, and longtime Colts fans should be patient with him even if team success in 2023 doesn’t come easily.
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