The Indianapolis Colts have made their decision on their starting QB, with head coach Shane Steichen naming veteran Daniel Jones as the Week 1 starter during a press conference between preseason Weeks 2 and 3. That leaves Anthony Richardson in a precarious position.
Advertisement
Just a couple of years ago, Richardson was drafted No. 4 overall by the Colts despite having severely limited college reps. That has clearly come back to bite him (and Indianapolis), as he has not only struggled with accuracy (completing just 44 percent of his passes in six games before being benched for the first time last season) but also with adjusting to the power of NFL defenders, suffering several injuries on QB runs … where the massive 6’4″, 244-pound athlete overestimated his own strength.
While he’s still only 23, many in the NFL media have already begun the death knell for Richardson’s Indy career. And among them is Louis Riddick, one of the sharpest minds in an otherwise disappointing pool of talking heads today, who really questions Richardson’s character and commitment to the game.
“These are all questions surrounding Anthony Richardson right now during his time in Indianapolis. Just what level of football character does he have? What level of commitment does he have to his craft? And these are all things he’s gonna have to take accountability for,” Riddick said on an episode of Get Up.
The former safety went on to say that he thinks Richardson’s Colts career is over. And he’s not the only one. As Ryan Clark chimed in, it was clear someone in the building had pushed for him to be the No. 4 pick in 2023. Many believe that was Steichen. That person clearly does not believe in him anymore, so for many, Richardson’s only chance is a fresh start.
“I think he’s gonna have to display these somewhere else,” Riddick continued.
“Unless this season goes horribly wrong, a new coach, new regime comes in, and there are people around the league, maybe a coach comes in and goes, ‘I was a believer in him, I’m gonna continue to see if I can develop him.’ That’s the only way I see this happening; I don’t see it happening under this regime. I think his time is done with these guys.”
Steichen, for his part, seems comfortable going into the season with Daniel Jones, aka Danny Dimes, at the controls of his football team. And that’s as much a compliment to Jones as it is an indictment of where Richardson is at. Steichen took it one step further too, saying that Jones was not just the Week 1 starter, but the starter for the 2025 season.
“I think the guys have taken to him. He’s a great communicator with the guys. You can see that veteran presence out there. So, I’m excited for that… He’s our starting quarterback for the season. I don’t want to have a quick leash on that. I feel confident in his abilities,” Steichen said.
Nonetheless, the head coach is ostensibly not giving up on Richardson either. He believes this season could be a good learning experience for him.
“He’s still learning, still growing. And for the first time in his career, this is an opportunity for him to sit at the start of a season and learning in a different light and attack it the right way.”
Best-case scenario, Anthony Richardson develops this season while sitting behind Jones and becomes a proper starting QB in 2026 for Indy. Worst-case scenario, the team doesn’t get a long-term look at Richardson because he’s the backup, learning behind a subpar NFL QB like Jones actually stunts his growth instead, and Jones turns out to be the same bust he was with the Giants.
Somehow, the latter seems more likely.
