Anthony Richardson Talks No Rushing Limitations, D.J. Lagway and Throwing A Football 100 Yards

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson teamed with running back Jonathan Taylor to create Honey BBQ Sauced & Tossed Chicken Strips at an Indianapolis-area Dairy Queen on Tuesday.

Afterward, Richardson spoke one-on-one with SportsCasting about having no rushing limitations on Sunday, ‘electrifying’ Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway, throwing a football 100 yards and more.

Key Topics in the Q&A

• Richardson will ‘play how I play’ upon his return to the field from an oblique injury
• How he ‘hated’ being on the sidelines the past two weeks
• Why he’s not surprised that Michael Pittman suited up on Sunday
• Advice for Florida true freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway
• How coach Billy Napier deserves some grace, but needs to start winning
• How ex-college teammate Ricky Pearsall was “ready to run routes’ the day after he got shot
• On being able to throw a football 85 yards, and aiming for 100

Full Transcript

Q: So are you a big chicken strips guy? Is that a good option at DQ?

Anthony Richardson: “I am a big chicken guy, and the chicken at DQ is actually pretty good.”

Q: Do you have memories of going to D.Q. after football games or other sports as a kid?

AR: “Not often, so it was kind of a big deal for my family and I to take some trips sometimes to go get some ice cream, as like a reward.”

Q: What’s your go-to dessert order over there?

AR: “You gotta go Oreo Blizzard.”

Q: Did you have a good time today alongside Jonathan? Is it good to connect with the community?

AR: “It was definitely a fun experience. Connecting with the people that love us and support us, it’s always a blessing.”

#Colts QB Anthony Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor here at a Dairy Queen event in Westfield. I’ll let you judge their work ethic and chemistry. 😂 pic.twitter.com/1fVENhjgUe

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 15, 2024

Q: A few football questions for you. Coach (Shane Steichen) said you are the quarterback when healthy. Do you appreciate the confidence he has in you? He’s been unwavering about that.

AR: “For sure. I appreciate my teammates as well. Everybody in the building supports me and is there for me. They’re rocking with me to be the best version of myself, so I appreciate all the love and support I get from everybody in there. It pushes me to go a little harder for them. I definitely appreciate all of them.”

Q: It seems like Joe Flacco has been a mentor to you. How has he affected the way you prepare or see the game?

AR: “He just reminds me that it’s football at the end of the day. I don’t have to go out there and do too much. Just go out there and play. Let the game come to me and just ball out.”

Q: Do you feel good about playing on Sunday (after missing two games with an oblique injury)?

AR: “For sure. I’m excited. I hate being on the sidelines just watching. I love being out there and making plays with my teammates. If I get the opportunity to do that this week, I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Q: Will your rushing ability be limited in the first couple of games back?

AR: “Honestly, if I’m able to go, I’m going to play how I play. Of course I’m going to be smart and take care of myself, but if I feel good to go out there and play, I don’t think there are going to be any (restrictions).”

Q: It’s probably hard to turn off that mentality. If you see a lane, you’re going.

AR: “Yeah, for sure.”

Q: You’re a young guy without a ton of NFL experience. How important is it to go out there every week and see those live bullets to get you into the rhythm of the NFL?

AR: “It’s extremely important for me to learn and let the game come to me. Of course I don’t know everything about the NFL right now. I’m still learning. I’m still grinding day-in and day-out to be the best version of myself for this league and for my team. There are things I’m learning, but at the end of the day it’s still football, and I’ve been playing football for a long time. So I try not to over-complicate it too much.”

Q: Are you impressed by Michael Pittman playing through his back injury? What did you think when you heard about the injury and then saw he would give it a go?

AR: “Man, honestly, I’m not surprised. Pitt is definitely one of those guys where he’s going to do anything he can if he’s able to do it. Him going out there and playing through that, it just shows the type of person and player he is. He’ll do anything for our team. He makes big plays even with a hurt back. Shout to Pitt for doing that.”

Q: I’d assume you’re still following Florida pretty closely. QB Graham Mertz tore his ACL to end his career on Saturday. How tough is that to see?

AR: “To have your season cut short like that, it definitely hurts, because I know he wanted to do everything in his power to help the Gators get victories. But Graham, he’s a great player and he’s a great leader for that squad. I feel like he’s going to keep doing that. Even though he won’t be able to go out there and play, I feel like that won’t change the type of person he is. I know everything happens for a reason and this is part of his journey right now.”

Q: What’s your advice to D.J. Lagway as he takes over? A true freshman now the full-time starter.

AR: “I’d tell D.J. to just play, man. At the end of the day, you’ve been playing football for a long time and you’ve been doing it great for a long time. He was a baller in high school, so honestly I don’t think he should make too much of it. At the end of the day it’s still football, and I just hope he enjoys every moment, because it’s definitely going to fly by.”

Q: What are your impressions from watching him play so far? As you said, a heralded recruit with a bunch of talent.

AR: “Man, I love watching D.J. play. It’s electrifying watch him do what he does. The way he runs the ball, the way he throws the ball. It’s like, ‘Wow.’ I love watching him.”

Coach Napier on how confident he is in DJ Lagway leading the Gators if Graham Mertz is unavailable going forward.

📸: Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images pic.twitter.com/AuiiEVdXT2

— All Gators (@allgators_) October 13, 2024

Q: Coach Napier has taken some heat down there. Do you preach patience to the fans and administration, or how do you see it? The team has had some struggles and he’s been criticized quite a bit.

AR: “I honestly see it from both sides. Now that I’m not playing with them anymore, I’m more of a spectator and a fan. We want to win. That’s what fans want. But being apart of that situation before, I understand that it’s not easy. Everything has to line up the right way, and everyone has to collaborate to do the best for the team. So a little bit of grace, but as a fan it’s like, ‘Man, we’ve got to do better.’”

Q: Ricky Piersall is back on the practice field after being shot. How cool is it to see that?

AR: “That’s my dawg right there. I’m glad to see him back on the field. I know he’s going to do great things in this league. I hope I get to see it soon. I’m definitely excited Ricky’s back on the field and I know he’s enjoying it too.”

Q: After the initial reports, it felt like best-case scenario might be that his season would be over. Are you surprised he’s returned this quickly?

AR: “Naw, not really. Just knowing Ricky, I know he doesn’t want to miss football. He loves playing football. Even when I talked to him the day after the situation happened, he was like, ‘Man, they’re going to send me home today.’ It was like he was ready to go run routes that same day. He’s a dog. I’m not surprised by any of it.”

Q: OK, one more for you, and I wanted to talk about your arm strength. People were amazed by that throw in Week 1 that went 65 air yards flat-footed. Are there any NFL quarterbacks with a stronger arm?

AR: “I definitely feel like my arm is one of one. That’s always been something I admired about myself, that ability to throw a football pretty far. I took pride in that as a kid, being one of the youngest ones and throwing a football far. Luckily it got me to this level right here.

“There are some QBs out there with strong arms. Josh (Allen). You got Pat Mahomes. You’ve got Joe Milton. Joe Milton has a crazy arm.”

Q: So if you had all your momentum going into it, how far you can throw a football?

AR: “If I was able to step into one, I could probably get 85 yards. I was actually telling one of my teammates, ‘One day I’m going to try to go for 100 just to see what I can do.’”

Q: So you’ve never tried it?

AR: “No, I’ve never tried it. One day coming up soon.”