Viral Anthony Richardson-Terrelle Pryor joke makes for an interesting thought exercise

The NFL social media team recently gave former quarterback-turned-wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. a well-deserved shoutout for his (briefly) successful positional change. It was your typical run-of-the-mill highlight reel, the kind that fills up everyone's feeds during the dog days of summer. However, one reply centered around the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson ostensibly caught the attention of the masses on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Fantasy football analyst Ron Stewart replied to the post, telling Richardson to "take notes." Little did he know his comment would blow up. While it may have been a jest, the 22,000-plus likes (and counting) lead us to ask: Should Indianapolis try replicating Pryor's path with their QB?

Did Terrelle Pryor walk as a WR so Anthony Richardson could run?

Behind every good joke, there's some truth. So, after seeing his one-liner seemingly take a life of its own, Stewart did some research. He wanted to see if Richardson has the physical traits to make the transition to receiver. And judging by the 2023 No. 4 overall pick's Relative Athletic Score (RAS), specifically compared to Pryor's, there's certainly an argument to be made.

As you can see, Richardson is an aberration, even when stacked up against another freak of nature like Pryor. The Colts' rising third-year signal-caller registered a perfect 10 RAS, ranking first out of 915 quarterbacks from 1987 to 2023. Knowing this, converting to wideout (or tight end) doesn't sound crazy.

Richardson has longer arms than Cincinnati Bengals reigning triple crown winner Ja'Marr Chase, plus bigger hands. His 10.5-inch mitts, 10'9" broad jump and 4.43 40-yard dash time are all on par with or exceed Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson's attributes. Of course, that doesn't mean the Colts have a bona fide alpha receiver on their hands, but it's worth noting, nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Richardson has either looked far from a pro-caliber option under center or dealt with various injuries due to his taxing playing style. More specifically, he's dealt with (and is still managing) multiple throwing shoulder issues that have plagued him since high school. And even when available, the 23-year-old has been tremendously underwhelming, especially with his lofty draft billing.

Pryor's success as a pass-catcher was short-lived, but it undeniably extended his career. He landed his two highest-paying contracts as a result, albeit both one-year "prove it" deals. Could the Colts view him as a trailblazer for Richardson?

Anthony Richardson injury update

Colts head coach Shane Steichen has said Richardson won't "need a procedure right now" ($) when discussing Richardson's shoulder health (or lack thereof). Yet, the fact that surgery is being discussed at all with no firm return timeline paints an ominous picture.