What It Means:

In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Irsay said "As you guys know, Peyton (Manning's rookie) year we were 3-13, the first year. That's a guy who played a lot of college games and was really prepared as much as he could be for the league. So, for Anthony Richardson, it's going to be tough. We know that. But he has to play to get better. I mean, there's no question. Gardner (Minshew) could come out and play better early on, him just being a veteran, but we have to get Anthony on the field. And that's (head coach) Shane (Steichen's) call when he decides to do it." Irsay's comments make it clear that he prefers to prioritize Richardson's development over short-term results. A decision that could lead to more success in the long run for Indianapolis.

Richardson's 2023-24 season projection, which assumes he begins the season as the starter, includes 3,142.41 passing yards, 17.00 passing touchdowns, 10.23 interceptions, 846.45 rushing yards, and 6.52 rushing touchdowns. He is the QB16 in numberFire's preseason fantasy projections.