Anthony Richardson Sr. May Be Holding Back Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are on track to start the regular season on September 7th at home against the Miami Dolphins. The biggest question surrounding the franchise doesn't have to do with the new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, or the bevvy of injuries on the roster, but rather who will start at quarterback.

The competition between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones has taken over all coverage for this squad, and it makes perfect sense why. It's all about which field general head coach Shane Steichen feels will give the team the best chance for success, as well as help save his job heading into year three leading the team.

However, the franchise wants Richardson to be the guy, not Jones. It's fair to say Indianapolis isn't going to shy away from naming Jones the starter if he's separated himself significantly from Richardson, but the former New York Giant hasn't done that.

That means it's on Richardson to make the step into the starter role under center. The big concern? He hasn't shown remotely enough to instill confidence that he'll be the answer now, and for the future of Indianapolis.

ESPN's Louis Riddick mentions Richardson as a concern for the team heading into the 2025 season while also ranking the Colts as the 27th team in the outlet's projected power rankings. Here's what Riddick had to say.

"Can Richardson overcome questions surrounding his ability to play at a consistently high level from an execution standpoint? When you invest the No. 4 pick in the quarterback position as an organization, you have to get better ROI than what the Colts have received from Richardson so far."

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Many will cite Richardson's inaccuracy and lack of attention to detail on the field as the biggest issues for the young quarterback, but those are not the only problems. What takes precedent as the biggest problem is Richardson's inability to stay on the field.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (red jersey) throws a pass during training camp practice. — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) delivers a pass Monday, July 28, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Richardson needed immense experience at the pro level upon being drafted fourth overall in 2023, but he has hardly taken snaps. Throughout his two campaigns, he's played a mere 15 out of 34 possible games, setting him back in his development.

Fast-forward to the first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, and Richardson's injury problems continued. This time, he failed to adjust to a free blitzer in David Ojabo, which resulted in Richardson taking a massive hit and subsequently dislocating his finger, taking him out of the game quickly.

Here is the play #Colts QB Anthony Richardson got hurt on in the 1st quarter of the preseason game vs the #Ravens. pic.twitter.com/zwuo5l84E1
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 7, 2025

Richardson can silence critics by elevating his play from a disastrous 2024 campaign, but he can't start this process without staying healthy and available to play. Luckily, there are still two preseason games (Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals) for Richardson to build momentum.

Riddick's comments on Richardson being the ultimate concern aren't wrong. He's playing the most important position in football while having the veteran Jones fighting tooth and nail to get past Richardson as the starter.

Per Steichen, Richardson will see a big helping of first half snaps this Saturday against the Packers at Lucas Oil Stadium. We'll see what the youngster does with his opportunity.

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