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The Indianapolis Colts have been good, not great, during Shane Steichen's tenure as head coach. Indianapolis won nine games in 2023 and eight games in 2024, playing just on the outside of playoff contention. The Colts will need QB Anthony Richardson at the top of his game if they want to change things in 2025.
Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted one huge mistake his team has made with Anthony Richardson in a recent interview.
Ballard admitted that he wishes he'd “resisted the urge” to give Richardson the starting job right away in 2023. The Colts announced that Richardson would be their starter on August 15th, weeks before the beginning of the 2023 regular season.
He explained that Richardson needed time to adjust to the NFL. Richardson could have also benefited from taking some time to learn the daily habits of a veteran quarterback before being thrust into a starting job right away.
“He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told The Athletic recently. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.”
While Ballard can see the team's mistake in hindsight, he understands that it was a difficult decision at the time.
“When you take one high, there’s an expectation,” Ballard said. “The pressure to play the kid is real.”
Now the pressure will be on Richardson to prove his worth during the 2025 NFL season.
Can Colts QB Anthony Richardson have a breakout season in 2025?
Anthony Richardson has a chance to save his career with a strong performance this fall.
But does Richardson have what it takes to live up to his expectations?
The first step will be staying healthy. Richardson has battled several injuries during his short NFL career. He has never played a full 17-game season, in fact he has not played in 17 games total spread across two seasons.
Richardson is “good to go” for training camp, which is a positive sign. He also received first-team reps at Saturday's training camp practice, a sign of the team's faith in him.
Ballard still has plenty of faith in Richardson, despite his early struggles.
“I just think eventually Anthony’s going to be who we think he can be,” Ballard concluded. “I still believe that. Whether that’s this year or next, I don’t know when it’s going to happen.”
If Richardson is going to take a big leap forward, the 2025 season is the best time. Otherwise, big changes could come to the Colts during the offseason.
