It is his third year, but it has already been a roller coaster.
Anthony Richardson is heading into year three with the Indianapolis Colts, and it has been anything but smooth. While it is still early in his career, it feels like on one hand, we have seen everything we need to see to make an overall assessment of his play and abilities. On the other hand, it feels like we never get to see enough. Therein lies the problem. What fans have seen as been choppy at best, but Richardson has struggled so much to stay on the field that it leaves one with the feeling there could be more than meets the eye. That is why this year is pivotal for the young quarterback. The question is, how long of a leash will the Colts provide?
Chris Ballard stated he was going to up the level of competition this year, and that has held true at the quarterback position. Bringing in Daniel Jones and paying him good money is a sure sign that the Colts desire someone to push Richardson. The injuries are one thing; undesirable but somewhat out of Richardson’s control. The results on the field, however, fall on the young man’s shoulders. The completion percentage was dreadful and marks the best opportunity for improvement in 2025. Short to intermediate passes must improve if Richardson is going to keep his job for long. His maturity and leadership must also take a step forward. Tapping out against the Texans and seeming to be unprepared at times will no longer be tolerated.
Enter Jones. He isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he brings a level of professionalism. He has been around long enough and has seen how two different organizations do things. That is a huge advantage for the veteran and could result in shorter patience from the Colts. At the end of the day, the organization owes players very little. That is the cruel nature of the NFL. Winning masks many issues. If Richardson cannot deliver on the field, however, those issues will be more visible, and the calls to replace him will grow louder. If he can’t stay healthy, Jones will take over and may never give the reins back.
Anthony Richardson should earn the starting job with no issue because the Colts would have to actively find ways to keep him off the field for opening day. That is not something they want to do, so expect him to be the starter at the beginning. From there, the leash will be medium in length. If he struggles over the first few games, the Colts will most likely and should allow him to fight through it. That doesn’t mean that by week nine if the Colts are three games under .500 that they continue with the Richardson experiment, especially if his play is a direct result of that record.
This is a make or break year for Anthony Richardson and the Colts. They will give him another shot, but if they have better quarterback play sitting behind him, expect it to come to the forefront sooner than later. Most fans want nothing more than to have Richardson succeed. It means the quarterback carousel stops and there is a viable option on the roster going forward. Unfortunately, what fans hope and what fans get can be two very different things. The leash has some slack, but be prepared for it to tighten up if things don’t go as planned.