Typically, having a highly regarded quarterback with a potential early first-round draft grade should result in a successful season and a spot in a major bowl game. However, this wasn’t the case for the Florida football team in 2022, despite having Anthony Richardson, who was projected as the fourth overall pick. The team ended with a 6-7 record (3-5 in SEC play) and struggled against strong opponents like Georgia, Kentucky, and LSU.
Richardson’s time in Gainesville spanned three seasons, during which he struggled to produce efficient passing stats. In a recently resurfaced podcast shared by NFL Digest on Twitter, Richardson attributed his dissatisfaction with the program to poor management and injuries, stating that he would not return to Florida in 2024 regardless of his draft status.
Anthony Richardson: Calls Out Florida Football
Quarterback Anthony Richardson’s tenure with the Florida football program was largely overshadowed by the team’s underperformance. After spending a backup season with an 8-4 record, Richardson shared playing time with Emory Jones in 2021 before becoming the full-time starter in 2022. The Gators, however, could not match their previous successes, finishing with a 12-14 record during the two years Richardson had significant playing time. On Tuesday, a trending video surfaced in which Richardson criticized the Gators for their mishandling of the quarterback position during his brief three-year stint.
“I started pulling my hammies. Never pulled my hammies before. I’m like, ‘Bro, what’s going on?’ They messed around and threw me out there to start against Georgia. The number one defense in the country, statistically, everywhere. Left that game early with a concussion. I then messed my knee up and had to have surgery at the end of the season.”
“So, in my third year, we got a new coaching staff. I told them (Florida), I said, ‘Let’s see how this spring goes, but if it ain’t it, I’m out of here.’ They were like, ‘Alright, we understand,’ because I was going to have to learn a new offense, and I’m coming off of knee surgery. I might not be able to run the same. I stuck with it. Finally, at the end of that year, I already knew I wasn’t going to be at Florida again. Whether I did declare or not, I wasn’t going to be there again.”
In 2022, Richardson played a secondary role while managing hamstring injuries but stepped in for starter Emory Jones during a mid-October loss to top-ranked LSU. He then started the following week against another top-ranked team, Georgia, completing 12-of-20 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions before sustaining a concussion that ended his game. Richardson didn’t return until the regular-season finale, where he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Due to multiple injuries and unfavorable situations, Richardson considered entering the transfer portal after the 2021 season. However, with the departure of head coach Dan Mullen and the hiring of former Louisiana head coach Billy Napier for the 2023 season, Richardson decided to stay for one more year. Despite this, the six-foot-four quarterback has stated that he was prepared to leave the Gators after the 2023 season, regardless of his draft status.
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