Colts to start rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in preseason opener

WESTFIELD, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts will start rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in Saturday's preseason opener at Buffalo, coach Shane Steichen announced Thursday.

Richardson, the fourth overall pick in April's draft, has been working primarily with the starters over the past week and has shown glimpses of the raw talent that intrigued the team.

Because Richardson only started one college season at Florida, it was unclear how quickly the Colts would push the 21-year-old into action.

Richardson has been battling veteran Gardner Minshew for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, but Steichen already knows what Minshew can do since both worked together in Philadelphia each of the past two seasons. Steichen said he wants to see what Richardson can do with the Colts' starters on game day.

THURSDAY'S GAMES

TEXANS 20, PATRIOTS 9: C.J. Stroud had a short and at times shaky NFL debut, Davis Mills threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tank Dell, and Houston beat host New England in the teams’ preseason opener.

Stroud was drafted second overall and played the first two series while going 2 of 4 for 13 yards with an interception. He rushed twice for 6 yards and was sacked once. Mills finished 9 of 12 for 99 yards while playing the balance of the opening half. Dalton Keene added a 1-yard touchdown run. Case Keenum had a 5-yard TD pass to Alex Bachman.

The Patriots gave most of their projected starters the night off, including quarterback Mac Jones.

SEAHAWKS 24, VIKINGS 13: Drew Lock completed 17 of 24 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Bobo had three catches for 55 yards and a score, and Seattle rallied in the second half to beat visiting Minnesota. Lock also threw one interception.

Nick Mullens completed 14 of 20 passes for 139 yards and a TD for the Vikings. Ty Chandler led the rushing game with 41 yards on 11 carries. Jalen Reagor had four catches for 55 yards.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

TV: The NFL is making additional moves to reach more fans with direct-to-consumer offerings. The league announced on Thursday that NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be available on “NFL+,” the streaming service the league launched last year. Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s Chief Media and Business Officer, said offering both channels direct to consumer is something that has been in the league plans for awhile. According to Nielsen's cable estimates, NFL Network is available to 51.1 million customers, which is the most for a network run by a professional league or college conference.

CHARGED: Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who had an interception in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 54 win over the San Francisco 49ers, is facing multiple charges after being found in possession of a stolen vehicle, firearms and illegal drugs. The 31-year-old is facing charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle, altering serial numbers, altering a title, possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of a stolen firearm.

SEAHAWKS: Wide receiver Cade Johnson was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for head and neck injuries during halftime of Seatle’s preseason game against Minnesota . The Seahawks said Johnson was placed on a backboard as a precaution and transported to Harborview Medical Center. The team said he was in stable condition. Johnson was attended to in the medical tent behind the bench for several minutes late in the first half by Seattle’s training staff and medical personnel.

49ERS: San Francisco chief executive Jed York is being sued over accusations of insider trading related to his role on the board of an online educational company. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that two shareholder lawsuits have been filed against York and other directors of Santa Clara-based Chegg Inc. The suits allege that York and other directors of Chegg hid the company’s role in helping college students cheat on online exams during the pandemic.

RAIDERS: San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said he apologized to Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby for the way he was treated during the process leading up to the NFL draft. That acknowledgement came Thursday as San Francisco and Las Vegas had a joint practice at the Raiders’ facility. Crosby has established himself as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers since the Raiders took him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo faced his former 49ers teammates in practice. Garoppolo signed with Las Vegas after 5 1/2 seasons with the Niners.

PANTHERS: Coach Frank Reich informed his players that nearly all should expect to play in Saturday's preseason home opener against the New York Jets. Reich said its largely because Carolina has new coaches, new schemes and several new players. They need to get prepared for the start of the regular season, which begins with two straight games against NFC South division foes.

COMMANDERS: Eric Bieniemy is bringing a vocal approach and two Super Bowl rings to his new job as Washington offensive coordinator. It's a chance for the longtime Kansas City assistant to get out from under the shadows cast by Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes and prove he should be a head coach in the NFL. His arrival apparently ruffled some feathers among Commanders players who went to coach Ron Rivera to ask about Bieniemy's intense style on the practice field.

TITANS: Terrell Williams’ stint as Tennessee’s acting head coach is more than just for the Titans' preseason opener Saturday in Chicago. Coach Mike Vrabel is turning the the team over to his assistant head coach and defensive line assistant for a 48-hour period running from Thursday through postgame Saturday afternoon for a simple reason. The best way to learn how to be an NFL head coach is by doing rather than watching.

JETS: New York plans to rest 18-year veteran Aaron Rodgers, and coach Robert Saleh was non-committal Thursday on if the other starters will play in their second preseason game, saying only “we’ll see.”