Colts Could Be 'In for a Change'

Yet again, everything hinges on what happens at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws a pass during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts have eyes on the 2025 season, as it's crucial to win and get a playoff spot. Honestly, if the Colts don't make this goal a reality, there's a good chance that it's the end for head coach Shane Steichen and tenured general manager Chris Ballard.

A good portion of this concerns what happens with the quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, which takes a big piece of the control out of Steichen's hands. While Steichen is a great quarterback coach, he can't play on the field under center.

While Richardson's recent shoulder issue isn't anything to be worried about, and he'll be at training camp, it's not guaranteed that he'll beat out Jones. The Athletic's Mike Jones penned that the Colts could be 'in for a change' at field general.

"Indianapolis could be in for a change after bringing in Daniel Jones to compete with 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson."

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for a receiver Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, during a game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Richardson is a promising player with otherworldly talents, but has translated those gifts into awful passing metrics that can doom a team's chances of winning. Richardson was bad in 2024, dropping to 47.7 percent with completions (126/264), with most missed passes being easy.

Richardson will be good to go by training camp, but he has to show he's vastly improved. Richardson's rookie completion percentage was 59.5, which is a whopping 11.8 percent better than 2024 despite playing only four games. To have such a drop in year two is concerning, especially tacking on his 12 picks thrown to eight touchdowns.

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The Colts invested plenty in their roster. Starting with the defense, the cornerback and former All-Pro Charvarius Ward was signed to bolster Lou Anarumo's secondary. Ward had a slower 2024 but isn't far removed from a torrid 2023, which saw him snag five interceptions, return one for a touchdown, and log a league-leading 23 passes defensed.

Next was safety Camryn Bynum. Bynum was brought in to join Nick Cross as the prominent safeties. Bynum has improved every one of his four seasons and pulled off three interceptions, 96 tackles, and a career-best 10 deflections.

As for the offense, it's loaded with weapons and offensive linemen who can get the job done. The pass-catchers are Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Tyler Warren. In the backfield is a trifecta of superstar Jonathan Taylor, as well as depth RBs like Khalil Herbert and rookie DJ Giddens.

This collection of players helps make up a team that can take the AFC South and secure a playoff spot. However, everything hangs on the quarterback spot. It doesn't matter if it's Richardson or Jones; this is an eight or nine-win team if it's another year of shaky play.

The Colts are in playoffs or bust mode with multiple positions, including coaching and front office, hanging in the balance. The Colts want to finally bury the quarterback carousel they've been on since 2020. The only way for this to end is stability under center followed by real success for a franchise that's been starved of it for too long.

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