Subscribe
Follow Us
The 2025 NFL campaign carries immense significance for the Indianapolis Colts. With a decade-long AFC South title drought and four consecutive years outside the postseason, the urgency throughout the organization is palpable. The passing of owner Jim Irsay and the subsequent transition to shared family ownership adds yet another layer of gravitas to this season’s stakes. Amid all the noise, no one stands under a hotter spotlight than quarterback Anthony Richardson, a player whose potential, resilience, and flaws now converge at a defining career crossroads.
Anthony Richardson’s Roller-Coaster Start
Drafted fourth overall in 2023, Richardson arrived in Indianapolis brimming with athletic promise and sky-high expectations. His career, however, has mirrored the fortunes of the team: flashes of rare talent mixed with setbacks, inconsistency, and physical adversity. During the 2024 season, Richardson started 11 games, tallying a modest 6-5 record. His production, 1,814 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, painted the picture of a player with a steep learning curve still ahead of him. Nine fumbles and recurring injuries further fueled frustration among fans and franchise leaders alike.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard was blunt after benching Richardson late last year: “He was drowning. I didn’t feel the same poise… Mentally, it was going really fast for him.” The message was clear: the tolerance for growing pains had worn extremely thin.
Competition and Change
This offseason was anything but quiet for the Colts. Ownership changes made headlines, but the front office drew attention for an aggressive approach to the roster. Ballard addressed defensive needs but also, critically, brought in veteran Daniel Jones on a one-year deal to compete for the starting quarterback job. The move wasn’t just about depth—it was a pointed message to Richardson: improvement is no longer optional.
Indy will reportedly have a QB competition once camp opens. Here’s how Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson compared as passers in 2024: pic.twitter.com/ulX0CB8uaq
— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) June 20, 2025
Jones brings his own baggage after losing his starting job with the New York Giants, but his arrival resets the expectations for Richardson. The Colts have already stated that the two will share reps in training camp, and that the starting job is an open competition.
No member of the Colts faces more scrutiny than Richardson. For starters, the team’s future is inextricably linked to his ability to develop into a reliable franchise quarterback. His athletic gifts are undeniable, few quarterbacks rival his arm strength and open-field agility, but decision-making, accuracy, and health remain unresolved issues. After only 15 games in two seasons due to injuries, doubts swirl over whether he can ever be counted on for a full 17-game slate.
The addition of Jones only intensifies those questions. If Richardson cannot decisively win, and keep, the starting job over a journeyman veteran, the “bust” label becomes impossible to avoid in the public discourse. As one analyst noted, “Unless Richardson shows marked improvement as a passer in camp, Jones is going to be the Colts Week 1 starter… and Richardson will be one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory”.
Richardson won’t be the only player under the microscope. The Colts have refreshed parts of their offensive arsenal, including top draft pick tight end Tyler Warren, a player positioned to provide a new safety valve for whoever is under center. Protection up front remains a priority, with Indianapolis working to reinforce its offensive line.
On the coaching side, head coach Shane Steichen enters his third season, hoping continuity will finally pay off after years of coordinator churn and shifting schemes. Yet, the leash for both Richardson and the coaching staff is short, especially following another playoff miss and a lackluster 8–9 finish in 2024.
What Richardson Must Prove
For Anthony Richardson, the pressure is about more than stats or wins, though both are nonnegotiable, given the team’s barren recent history. He must show leadership growth, embrace the grind of the NFL’s mental demands, and shed habits that have led to costly turnovers and breakdowns. Steichen and Ballard have been vocal: the time for patience is over. “You have to be intentional about every single thing you’re doing every minute of the day,” Richardson remarked, aware that talk must be followed by transformative play.
Availability is another key theme. Richardson’s injuries have robbed the Colts of continuity and momentum. A full, healthy season, something Colts fans have not yet seen, could be as vital as improvement in efficiency and poise.
Never before in his brief career has the pressure been more acute or the consequences so stark. For Anthony Richardson, and the Colts, the margin for error is gone and the path forward is clear: deliver progress, demonstrate resilience, and prove that promise can finally turn to performance.
