Getty Florida Gators QB Anthony Richardson walking off of the field at the NFL Combine.
The New York Jets seem to be all in on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The buzz and rumors have been palpable for weeks and it reached a new level this week with the team flying out to meet with the star quarterback. However before that took place, Gang Green took a gander at a different quarterback prospect.
Florida Gators passer Anthony Richardson confirmed to Rich Eisen on Monday, March 6 that he had an “informal meeting” with the Jets at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Interesting: @GatorsFB QB Anthony Richardson (@GVOaant) had an informal meeting w/ the #Jets at the #NFLCombine he confirmed to @richeisen on the @RichEisenShow. 👀
Anthony Richardson Lit the NFL Combine on Fire
From people I spoke to around the league, they expected Richardson to perform well at the NFL Combine. However, they candidly didn’t think we’d be talking about a record-breaking performance but that is exactly what transpired in Indy.
The NFL announced that the former Gators star broke combine records for a quarterback in the broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches) and the vertical jump (40.5 inches).
Richardson measured in at 6-foot-4 and stepped on the scale at 244 pounds.
Unbelievably at that size, he trotted out there and ran a blazing fast 4.43 40-yard dash. That was by far the fastest time by any quarterback prospect in Indy.
The 21-year-old who will turn 22 before the start of the 2023 season is considered a raw prospect. Someone that will take some time to season at the next level before he is ready to take things over.
Throughout his collegiate career, Richardson only appeared in 22 games. He didn’t become a full-time starter until 2022 and he showed plenty of flashes of his star power.
He only completed 53.8 percent of his passes, had a 17 touchdown to 9 interception ratio, threw for 2,549 passing yards, but he certainly flashed in the running game.
Richardson toted the rock 103 times for 654 rushing yards at 6.3 yards per clip. He also scored nine touchdowns on the ground.
Social Media Reactions to Potential Jets Plan at QB
The Jets hold the No. 13 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. If Gang Green wants Richardson they will likely have to trade up to land him.
After that sterling performance at the NFL Combine, there is a lot of chatter he could go incredibly high in this draft.
When the news became public that the Jets informally met with Richardson, social media had some intense reactions.
@BoyGreen25 @GatorsFB @GVOaant @richeisen @RichEisenShow @LyleTheEgg Yes! We get Aaron Rodgers and get Anthony Richardson so then if Rodgers retires we have Richardson to start
One of them hinted at the Jets landing both Rodgers and Richardson this offseason. Rodgers could be the guy for this season and if he chose to retire next year, Gang Green could hand the keys to the youngster.
Although others were very weary of the limited college tape and some of the obvious flaws in his game.
“He will not be a good pro QB,” one fan said on Twitter.
On the other side of the coin, a fan is “begging for this to happen.”
One fan gave a blunt assessment of the quarterback plan, in general, this offseason saying “I’m tired of these f****** rookies.”
It seems like the Jets are as well from their public comments. The owner, general manager, and head coach have all said very loudly that they want a veteran quarterback.
Of course, as we know anything can happen during an NFL offseason, so it’s unclear if there is smoke or fire here.