Anthony Richardson hasn't lost his job as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, but the team is not remaining complacent heading into the 2025 season.
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According to General Manager Chris Ballard, the Colts will bring in competition for Richardson ahead of his third season as a pro. The decision to do so boils down to multiple factors including health and consistency.
"We can't beat our head against the wall," Ballard said during his Jan. 10 press conference. "We've got to have competition at the position — just for one for the fact that competition makes everybody better. And then two, he's not proven he can play 17 games."
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has only appeared in 15 of the 34 possible games since joining the Colts. He started four games as a rookie before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
Last season, Richardson missed two games due to an oblique injury. The Colts then benched him for two more games after he pulled himself out of the lineup due to being tired. Richardson then missed the final two weeks of the season due to back spasms.
When healthy, the former Florida Gators quarterback has shown an ability to deliver some big plays. For example, he threw a 60-yard touchdown against the Texans after nearly falling. He didn't set his feet; he just used pure strength to launch the ball over two defenders.
Richardson has also dealt with struggles while adapting to the NFL. Nine of his 11 starts saw him complete 50% or fewer of his throws. This included a game against the Texans in October when he only completed 31.2% of his passes.
"Being consistent, getting consistent down after down, play after play — consistency with him," Ballard said about Richardson. "And that just takes — that takes time. I think the one thing you can see with all — and look, we have zero patience as a league with quarterbacks.
"I mean, you're seeing it throughout the league, where guys fail one place and now all of a sudden they're doing really well somewhere else. Every quarterback's journey and developmental cycle is different. I wish I had a magic wand — that could wave it and get him to the top of the peak right away. But that's not realistic."
The Colts have sought a consistent presence under center since the end of the 2018 season when Andrew Luck led the team to the divisional round of the playoffs. Luck suddenly retired ahead of the 2019 season, which forced the team to adapt on the fly.
Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer both made starts in 2019, Philip Rivers took over in 2020, and then Carson Wentz took over in 2021. Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, and Nick Foles all started games in 2022 and then Gardner Minshew took over in 2023 after Richardson's injury. Joe Flacco also started meaningful games last season.
Richardson could still be the long-term answer at quarterback for the Colts. However, the team will not go into 2025 simply believing this to be the case. They will add other options as insurance and competition.
