Anthony Richardson Sr. Could Go Down as Colts' Greatest Blunder

The Indianapolis Colts haven't gotten anywhere near what they expected since drafting quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) runs onto the field Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts is a franchise with ambiguity following a mountainous fall from grace in the final seven games of the 2025 season.

One of, if not the biggest, foggy area is what this franchise will do with the quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. in 2026.

The Colts must decide on his fifth-year option, and based on how much they seem to want to retain Daniel Jones, Richardson looks to have no future.

If this is the case, the Colts may have had their biggest mistake in franchise history. Here are three detailed subjects to support the tough case.

The Massive Risk That was Taken

Apr 27, 2023; Kansas City, MO, USA; Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Richardson came into the 2023 NFL draft with huge gray areas, mainly his lack of starting experience at the University of Florida.

During his time with the Gators, Richardson only started 13 games. The biggest sample size was his final year (2023).

He'd complete 176/327 passes (53.8 completion percentage) for 2,549 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine picks.

While questions surfaced about his accuracy, experience, and mechanics, nobody wondered about his rushing ability.

He put up 1,116 rushing yards on 161 carries (6.9 average) and 12 rushing scores during his three years.

Was just scouting some football listening to Piano Music as I always do but then Dragon Slayer by Kyle Landry came on just as Anthony Richardson ran through the entire LSU defense.

And now I want to go run through a literal brick wall. 🔊🔊🔊 pic.twitter.com/KetGcPZdrB

— Marcus Whitman (@TFG_Football) March 7, 2023

Indy decided this was enough to risk everything by drafting him fourth-overall in 2023. This was after a 4-12-1 finish to the 2022 season that also saw Frank Reich canned and Jeff Saturday hired in the interim.

What followed was a promising four-game rookie year before sustaining a season-ending AC joint sprain.

He finished with 50/84 completions (59.5 completion percentage) for 577 passing yards, three TDs, and an interception during his rookie campaign.

He also ran for 136 yards and scored four more times. The assumption was he'd learn from the sideline while recovering and would elevate in year two.

Boy, was that as incorrect as can be.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

The Brutal 2024 Season That Exposed Colossal Flaws

Sep 7, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) during warmups before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

To say the bottom fell out from under Richardson in 2024 is a gross understatement. Rather, it was a complete implosion from an efficiency standpoint.

For starters, the injuries carried over in multitudes from his rookie year. Richardson missed six games due to oblique, back, foot, and hip injuries. If there was an injury, Richardson essentially had it in 2024.

Second, those 11 games showed that NFL defenses caught up to him at NASCAR-type speeds. He was wildly inconsistent as a pure QB and looked often confused at the defenses he was reading.

He finished with a God-awful 126/264 completions (47.7 completion percentage) for 1,814 passing yards, and more picks (12) than touchdown tosses (eight).

While Richardson continued to show he can be a bruising runner (499 rushing yards and six touchdowns), he still coughed up a whopping nine fumbles in the process.

Due to such a lack of well-oiled operation under center, Jones was signed in free agency to kick off a QB competition, with the hope that Richardson would win with pressure.

This didn't happen at all, and Richardson was a backup for his third NFL season while watching Jones blossom into a career resurgence. He also sustained a freak accident orbital bone fracture, which landed him on Injured Reserve.

Now, his future is nothing more than a neon question mark. This brings me to the last point of this piece.

His Wildly Uncertain Future with the Colts

Aug 23, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) takes the field prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USAToday Network via Imagn Images | Grace Hollars-USAToday Network via Imagn Images

It's simple: Richardson is likely out with the Colts.

Indianapolis tried everything through three years with Richardson to morph him into a franchise quarterback.

While the Colts should shoulder some blame, they can't force him to be disciplined, focused, and have a strong will on the field.

Nothing resembled that Indy wasn't fully at fault more than when Richardson tapped out in 2024 against the Houston Texans because he was 'tired' from running away from defenders.

#Colts QB Anthony Richardson on taking himself out of the game in the 3rd quarter: “Tired, I ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did ... So, I just told Shane (Steichen) I needed a break right there.”

(🎥 @WISHNews8)pic.twitter.com/5DiUalDXDU

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 27, 2024

Both the Colts and Richardson have made this marriage a nightmare, but a player that has performed, and conducted themselves, like Richardson can't be ignored.

The chances that the Colts take on his fifth-year option are little to none, and the franchise is looking to Jones as the quarterback of the future more than anything.

It's pointless for Indy to keep him unless he supernovas into an efficient QB, which is highly unlikely at this juncture.

I fully expect the Colts to trade the young field general to get something out of him, rather than elect his fifth-year option so he can sit behind both Jones and Riley Leonard on the depth chart.

It's truly sad, but the reality is that the Colts and Richardson were never meant to be, despite that looking to be the case upon Shane Steichen getting hired.

The Bottom Line

Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) watches the action on the field from the sidelin at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

This has been nothing short of a dumpster fire between the Colts and Richardson, and it will go down as just that whenever he's dealt off to another team that will try to pick up the pieces.

Indianapolis has been so desperate for a quarterback since Andrew Luck retired (2019) that they were willing to swing for the fences on a project like Richardson.

Well, that project has failed, epically.

If or when the Colts get rid of Richardson, it will go down as the zenith of mistakes made by the franchise, and it's not even close.