WESTFIELD — As Anthony Richardson reached the depth of his dropback, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback planted his back foot in the ground and came to a sudden stop.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin was rushing up the middle, and — even without pads and wearing a red non-contact jersey in the first practice of training camp Thursday — Richardson had to think quickly.

He made a slight shuffle to gain an inch of separation and then raised the football over his head with both hands in a swooping motion like a basketball player attempting to keep possession of a rebound in traffic.

That was enough to allow Franklin to slip past, and Richardson raced without further contest into the end zone about 12 yards away.

Defenders notoriously dispute running plays in training camp where tackling is almost always forbidden. That’s even more true when the ball carrier is a quarterback.

But Richardson was brooking no protest from Franklin.

“Man, Z knows that wasn’t a tackle,” a smiling Richardson said at Grand Park Sports Campus. “He knows that wasn’t a tackle.”

The 22-year-old quarterback reported to training camp without any throwing restrictions despite having his rookie season cut short after just five weeks — and four starts — because of shoulder injury.

And he looked crisp during a 60-minute opening practice focused on work inside the red zone. Richardson was 4-of-5 with touchdown passes to wide receivers Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. as well as tight end Kylen Granson.

His lone incompletion came after the pass rush caused him to stumble just before releasing a throw intended for rookie wide receiver AD Mitchell. The resulting pass was too low for Mitchell to haul in — despite his best diving effort.

But for as much attention as Richardson’s shoulder is likely to generate this season, his legs will also be the topic of lively debate.

Specifically, there have been multiple suggestions the Colts need to curb the quarterback running game to increase their chances of keeping the young star on the field.

While Richardson’s safety is a major concern for second-year head coach Shane Steichen, he’s reluctant to eliminate an element of the offense that can cause defenses fits.

And Indianapolis is very much looking forward to utilizing the tandem of Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor after they played just two snaps together in 2023.

“You’ve got a quarterback that can do everything,” Steichen said. “He can throw from the pocket. He can get out of the pocket. He can run the football. Then you’ve got Jonathan Taylor, who’s one of the best backs in the league, and to have both those guys in the backfield is going to be critical for our success.

“People ask this, too, a lot. It’s just like, ‘Hey, are you going to limit the run game?’ I kind of think like, shoot, are you going to limit Steph Curry from shooting 3-pointers? Well, that’s one of Anthony’s strengths, right? So we’re not going to get away from that. That’s what he does well.”

Indianapolis linebacker E.J. Speed sees Richardson as part of the vanguard of the game’s offensive evolution.

Chasing the elusive quarterback every day in practice, he said, is solid preparation for the season ahead.

“There’s not a lot of quarterbacks in the league left that are not mobile,” Speed said. “You know what I mean? Everybody’s got a quarterback that can at least take off for a few steps. So we just got the best one.”

As brief as Richardson’s rookie season was, there were flashes of his vast potential.

In addition to solid poise and decision making in the pocket, the quarterback proved his athleticism also could transfer from the college game.

In his four starts, Richardson rushed 25 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns. The franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a full season is five.

General manager Chris Ballard is quick to tamp down the loftiest of expectations for his young signal caller. But he makes no secret of the fact he’s encouraged about the future.

“I mean, we liked all the stuff we saw, but he’s still got to go out and prove it over the course of time like any player does,” Ballard said. “I mean — you can be a flash, but he’s still got to go prove it over the course of time. But we think we’ve got a good football team around him where he doesn’t necessarily have to carry us.”

Richardson agrees with that assessment, noting he believes the Colts’ offense has the potential to be unstoppable this fall.

He’s as excited as anyone about his pairing with Taylor, and he praised the array of pass catchers at his disposal. Add in an offensive line coming off a major bounceback campaign, and it’s easy to justify the optimism.

But Richardson makes it clear his dual-threat nature is a vital part of the attack.

“My legs have always been one of my superpowers, so trying to take that away from me — I don’t think that’s a good thing for this offense,” he said. “It’s just more so me playing a little bit smarter and learning how to take care of myself for my teammates.

“Knowing when to make the right play and knowing when to try to get an extra few yards. So don’t take my legs away, but just be more smart.”