Kevin O'Connell gives wholesome reason why he offered encouragement to Anthony Richardson

When Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, he was perceived to be a raw prospect with immense talent. Teams became enamored with his athletic ability and arm talent, and he surged up draft boards after he dazzled at the NFL Scouting Combine.

When the Indianapolis Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they planned to develop him into an electrifying and dynamic offensive weapon. So far, that plan has not worked out as hoped.

The Colts benched Richardson in favor of 39-year-old veteran Joe Flacco prior to their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9. The benching fueled a difficult week of speculation regarding the 22-year-old quarterback’s future in Indianapolis. 

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell sought out Richardson on the field after securing a 21-13 victory over the Colts. O’Connell offered some words of encouragement to the struggling quarterback during their interaction, which was captured by NFL Films.

"Hey, do me a favor and remember something," O'Connell said. "You're a bad dude, and you're going to play a long time in this league. Go to work every day. Good things will happen for you. I still believe in you. I know these guys do. [Colts coach] Shane [Steichen] does too. Man, this organization loves you. Go to work.”

Kevin O’Connell explained the motivation behind his interaction with Anthony Richardson

O’Connell was asked about the interaction during a press conference on Friday, and he explained what motivated him to approach Richardson.

"I wanted to let him know how I felt," O'Connell said, per ESPN. "And whether it meant something to him, or not, didn't matter. And I think it's a good thing for everybody in society to do. If you've got the ability to help somebody else in circumstances that maybe as they're working through it are less than ideal, but there is a road and a path — a rather large one in my opinion to him having have a very, very successful NFL career — [you should].”

O’Connell has personally experienced the hardships that come along with being a quarterback in the NFL. The former San Diego State quarterback was selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, but he didn’t stick around to be Tom Brady’s backup for long. O’Connell spent just one season in New England, and he played for five different teams in five seasons before transitioning into coaching.

"Quarterback journeys are what they are, and every single one of them has their own story,” O’Connell said. “And I just felt like if I can have an opportunity to just let him know how I feel about him, and not only him and where he's at now but where I think he's going in the future, I thought it was a good moment to tell him that. I'm just a big fan, and if you have something to say to uplift somebody else, you might as well say it and not keep it to yourself."

The Colts were so focused on finding the next iteration of Lamar Jackson that they overlooked the possibility of discovering the next Trey Lance instead. 

Despite possessing rare natural talent, there were warning signs that Richardson was not ready for the NFL. Richardson only logged 13 collegiate starts as a one-year starter at Florida, and that lack of experience has been glaring through his two seasons in the NFL.

Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells, who is renowned for his talent evaluation, had a list of criteria that he used when evaluating quarterback prospects in the NFL Draft, per The Athletic. 

Parcells wanted a quarterback who was a three-year starter, a senior in college and graduated from college. He also wanted the quarterback to have played at least 30 games and won at least 23 of those games. In the box score, he looked for a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a completion rate of 60 percent.

Neither Lance nor Richardson would have been considered as top-five picks for Parcells, who clearly prioritized experience and decision-making before considering physical traits. Richardson finished his collegiate career with a 6-7 record, a 24:15 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a completion rate of 54.7 percent.

Still, O’Connell believes Richardson’s story is far from over.