Patrick Mahomes might be the only quarterback in Madden 24’s 99 club, but Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman thinks his rookie QB, Anthony Richardson, is the type of player video gamers would build from scratch.
“A.R., I mean, he’s big. He’s fast. He’s strong,” Pittman told NFL Network’s Stacey Dales on Sunday’s Inside Training Camp Live. “If you could create just a Madden quarterback, that’s like basically him. He’s got 99 speed, 99 strength, 99 arm. So, he’s just got everything.”
It’s not set in stone that Richardson and his video game-abilities brought to life win the starting job immediately over Gardner Minshew. No matter who takes the first snap against the Jaguars on Sept. 10, though, Pittman will be catching passes from his fourth Week 1 starter in as many seasons.
Pittman also spoke glowingly about another teammate, Jonathan Taylor, who recently requested a trade from the team due to his desire for a new extension. The two have dealt with the rotating door at QB together since joining Indy seven picks apart in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
“Everybody in our locker room knows how much he means to our team,” Pittman said of Taylor. “He’s been a dominant offensive player for this team ever since he’s gotten here. I think I saw a stat, in three years, he has almost 5,000 yards, a bunch of touchdowns. I don’t have anything near that. So that just shows he’s been our dominant offensive player. I’m always going to ride for my guys. I’m all for him getting paid and getting his money.”
Taylor has 4,643 yards from scrimmage and 36 total touchdowns with a rushing title in his career, while Pittman has 2,610 yards and 11 scores. The humble wideout has a point about the discrepancy, but both have earned extensions going into Year 4 of their careers — regardless of where their respective price tags eventually land.
“I see people that try to compare me and him because of how we’re kind of going about it in different ways,” Pittman said. “But it’s just such a different situation. The receiver market compared to running back market, it’s just so different. You can’t really compare. … Honestly, I think he’s doing it the right way. He’s been great. He hasn’t changed. He’s been the same guy. And we all love him around here.”