The Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts shared the practice field on Tuesday to end training camp. The joint practice session got intense and eventually ended in a brawl after Eagles’ center Jason Kelce took a cheap shot on Colts’ linebacker Zaire Franklin.
Colts’ rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson was also part of the scrum, as things started to get ugly after Derek Barnett appeared to hit the quarterback and knock the ball loose.
While the practice ended early, Eagles’ reporters got a good look at the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft for the first time.
How Did Richardson Look vs Eagles?
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Richardson leading up to Week 1 of the NFL season. The Colts’ rookie broke several records when flashing his athleticism at the NFL Combine and has since landed the starting quarterback job out of training camp.
However, Richardson looked underwhelming against the Eagles’ defense on Tuesday, according to several reports.
Eliot Shorr-Parks noted that while Richardson has a strong arm and elite size, he’s still very much a work in progress.
New head coach and former Eagles’ offensive coordinator Shane Steichen appears to have training wheels on Richardson for now. Apparently, the Colts’ rookie QB did not attempt a pass over 20 yards in joint practice with most of his attempts being short or incomplete passes.
Anthony Richardson Training Camp Stats vs Eagles
All in all, Richardson’s numbers weren’t bad. He finished 11 for 16 passing with no touchdowns or interceptions. Given that a lot of Richardson’s value as a rookie will come as a runner, he seems to already understand the importance of taking care of the football.
During the preseason, Richardson has completed just 58.3 percent of his passes for 67 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception.
It’s worth noting that the No. 4 pick in the Draft may have to begin his career without star running back Jonathan Taylor on the roster. Taylor has been away from the team for most of the offseason and engaged in an ugly feud with owner Jim Irsay, who recently granted the disgruntled running back permission to speak to teams about a trade.
One of the top running backs in the league, Taylor has been linked to the Eagles multiple times over the past year. If acquired, the Colts’ running back could join newcomer D’Andre Swift in the backfield to former a star-studded Taylor-Swift 1-2 punch.
