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The Cincinnati Bengals defense reportedly was not impressed by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson during Tuesday’s joint practice.
According to The Athletic’s James Boyd, Richardson relied heavily on his dual-threat skills to escape the pocket when his receivers were covered, which ignited some trash talk from the opposing players.
“Is that all he does is run?” Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt said while trading barbs with a fan in attendance.
At one point Bengals defensive tackle B.J. Hill yelled directly at Richardson, “Throw the ball, bro!”
When Richardson heeded his advice and threw the ball on the next play of practice, things went even worse, as Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson came down with an interception off a deflection. The Bengals defense didn’t hold back its taunting of the second-year signal-caller.
“He’s just throwing to spots,” Bengals safety Geno Stone reportedly yelled at one point. “He doesn’t see his receivers.”
Boyd reported that Richardson ended the session going 10-of-20 through the air with one touchdown and one interception. He had a bright spot near the end of practice when he went 3-of-5 during a two-minute drill. Colts head coach Shane Steichen declined to comment on the struggles of the first-team offense because he spent most of the day watching Indianapolis’ first-team defense.
Richardson’s dual-threat ability is what pushed the Colts to select him with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft. While his raw talent still needed to be refined, he showed flashes of vast potential before his rookie second was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery. He produced four rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns in four starts before being sidelined.
Richardson will have the chance to make more of an impression on the Bengals defense in Thursday’s preseason finale, as Steichen said Colts starters will be playing into the second quarter.
“I think it’ll be really good for [Richardson],” Steichen said. “Any time you can get out there in those game-like situations, it’s good. Obviously, you want to be smart with these guys in the preseason because we’ve got a long season ahead of us, but we’re excited to get those guys out there.”