Due to being a dual-threat quarterback, Anthony Richardson has drawn comparisons to legends like Michael Vick, Cam Newton, and Lamar Jackson. Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard compared his young QB to former NFL star Steve McNair.
“Now he did not have the same production as a lot of quarterbacks had but the flashes were loud and they were really strong,” Ballard said on the Green Light podcast with Chris Long.
”I kept watching, and he’s probably a little different, but he reminded me of Steve McNair when he was coming out of Alcorn. Now I was coaching still at the time, and McNair broke every record, he had every small school record for a quarterback but just their play style was very similar.”
Richardson has only played four regular-season games. It remains to be seen whether he becomes the next Steve McNair or ever develops into a star NFL quarterback. However, he certainly has the talent to be something special.
Will the Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson Have a Steve McNair-Type of Career?
Looking Back at McNair’s Career
McNair played college football at Alcorn State, located in Lorman, Mississippi. During his four seasons with the Braves, he passed for 14,496 yards and 119 touchdowns. He also ran for 2,327 yards and 33 TDs. As a senior, he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter.
The Houston Oilers selected McNair with the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft. After his first two seasons in Houston, the franchise relocated and became the Tennessee Oilers and then the Tennessee Titans.
McNair led the Titans to the playoffs four times. He powered the team to Super Bowl XXXIV, where they lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16.
McNair was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and shared the NFL MVP award with Peyton Manning in 2003. He was the first African-American quarterback to win MVP, later joined by Cam Newton, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson.
After 11 years with the Oilers/Titans, McNair was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2006. He played the last two seasons of his career in Baltimore, making his final playoff appearance in ‘06. Sadly, he was murdered in July 2009.
Anthony Richardson Has a Ton of Potential
The Colts drafted Anthony Richardson fourth overall in 2023. Unfortunately, his rookie year was cut short due to a right shoulder injury. But when he did play, he showed flashes of becoming an exciting, elite franchise quarterback. Richardson impressively had four rushing touchdowns in his four regular-season games. In a game against the Los Angeles Rams, he nearly led Indy to a win after trailing 23-0.
Richardson hasn’t proven much yet. He’s basically still just a rookie. But he does possess the potential to have a Steve McNair-type career down the road. At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, he’s big, strong, and athletic, sort of like McNair (6’2, 230 pounds)was. If he can stay healthy, Richardson could turn out to be an MVP, three-time Pro-Bowler, and take a team to a Super Bowl appearance. We’ll see how everything plays out over the years.
Main Image: Grace Smith – USA Today Sports
