Colts' Anthony Richardson Reaching 'Point of No Return'

It's been just over two years since Anthony Richardson heard his name called by commissioner Roger Goodell in the 2023 NFL draft. The Indianapolis Colts were well aware of the risk being taken by selecting an inexperienced starter with the fourth overall pick, but general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen pulled the trigger nonetheless.

Following a rookie season that ended in injury and a follow-up year that didn't show much improvement, Richardson and the Colts are under heavy pressure to bring home wins in 2025.

The Indianapolis front office signed six-year veteran Daniel Jones to light a fire under Richardson, giving him a fair competitor to battle with for the starting role. After a few days of training camp, it seems to be working, with Richardson standing out on day three.

Practice is about to wrap, and we finally had a QB outperform the other. This was Anthony Richardson’s best day.

Much more to come on @ColtsOn_SI and @LockedOnColts.
— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) July 25, 2025

Regardless, the job is not finished. Richardson faces mounting pressure, and ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell named him among four quarterbacks with the most on the line in the 2025 season.

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"It's the point of no return for Richardson, who faces serious competition for his starting job in Daniel Jones with a franchise that seems to have lost some level of faith in the 2023 top-five pick," Barnwell wrote. "He missed most of his rookie year with a shoulder injury, was benched for asking out of a game last season and has dealt with a setback to his surgically repaired shoulder this offseason, although it appears he will be ready to return for training camp."

"The story hasn't changed with Richardson," Barnwell continued. "He has the potential to be the league's most exciting athlete at quarterback, combining elite size (6-foot-4, 244 pounds) to be part of the designed run game with speed and an elite arm... And yet, simultaneously, Richardson is not an experienced enough quarterback to rely on if the Colts want to win games. Nobody in the league misses open receivers more often... And while he can be a threat as a runner, the Colts haven't been able to convince him to avoid defenders at the end of plays. If coach Shane Steichen can't trust Richardson to stay healthy as part of the run game, it's a different story."

Anthony Richardson taking some mental reps before practice kicks off.

Today practices begin ramping up to 1 hr and 15 minutes. #Colts pic.twitter.com/j467Zqjdq2
— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) July 25, 2025

"Richardson has thrown just 741 passes over the past five years since leaving high school, let alone at the pro level," Barnwell wrote. "A meaningful portion of those were screens and RPOs, leaving him with a handful of dropback snaps each season. He's still only 23, but Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard probably aren't in position to give him another season to figure things out without being worried about competing for a playoff spot."

Richardson's fifth-year option will be on the table soon, but there's absolutely no way the Colts take that chance on him if he doesn't show clear, consistent improvement in year three. The bare minimum would be to play through a season without sustaining serious injuries, something that's much easier said than done.

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