Chris Ballard Ambiguous on Anthony Richardson Sr.'s Role with Colts

It's been nothing short of an awful pairing between the Indianapolis Colts and Anthony Richardson Sr.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) leaves the field Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 41-14 at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard had his end-of-the-season press conference yesterday morning.

Ballard was asked about Anthony Richardson Sr., and his answers didn't shed much light on the former fourth-overall pick's future with the squad.

The question was regarding Richardson's role with the team, and if he has one. Here is what Ballard had to say as a reply.

"I was really happy with Anthony (Richardson Sr.) even after we named Daniel Jones the starter. I mean, unfortunately for Anthony, he's had some really bad luck.

I thought Anthony had made great strides. At the end of the day, we went with Daniel. Just felt he was the right person at the time for the job, but saying that Anthony was making really good strides.

I think time will tell in terms – it was great to get him back out to practice for that three weeks, or at least get him back involved in the team and moving again.

We'll kind of see going forward how that ends up playing out. A lot of it's going to deal with his health too.”

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

Look, Ballard couldn't just go up on the podium and say, "Richardson will be our quarterback," or "Richardson doesn't have a future with the team."

However, to nobody's fault, Richardson's spot on the team is as big a question mark as his ability to stay healthy.

To re-hash it, Richardson's first two seasons saw him as the starter for Indianapolis. The problem? He went down with a mountain of injuries that shrunk his starting sample to a mere 15 out of 34 possible starts.

Right away, the young field general showed he resembled a pincushion, consistently staying hurt and off the field. Given how much he desperately needed those valuable starter snaps, and how raw he is, it grossly set him back.

Even when he did manage to play 11 games in 2024, he was atrocious with accuracy (47.7 completion percentage) and turnovers (12 picks, nine fumbles).

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Aug 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) runs the ball against Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah Simmons (28) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Richardson's brutally bad 2024 isn't the biggest issue, as Ballard alluded to; it's the injuries. Below is a short list of what Richardson has sustained, and it's immense.

2023
-AC Joint Sprain in Throwing Shoulder
-Concussion

2024
- Oblique Injury
- Back Spasms

2025
- Dislocated Finger on Throwing Hand
- Broken Orbital Bone

Six tough injuries over three seasons are complicated to recover from, especially when that trio of campaigns is all three to kick off a young career.

In short, this is the kryptonite for Richardson, and there is no worse issue to have in the NFL than not being available due to injuries.

Richardson lost the starting position to Daniel Jones in 2025, who subsequently used that opportunity to resurrect his career with the Colts through 13 games.

Once Jones went down with his Achilles injury that derailed his season against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14, the team had to turn to formerly retired QB, Philip Rivers.

Then, in Week 18 once the season was completely lost, Indianapolis allowed rookie sixth-rounder, Riley Leonard, to suit up and lead the offense.

Richardson was supposed to be the backup, and had he not had a freak accident with a resistance band that busted his orbital bone, he would've had the golden opportunity to play at the end of the season.

Sep 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) warms up before the match against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

At this point, the Colts and Richardson is on life support. Jones appears to be the quarterback Indianapolis wants, while Leonard played well enough in Week 18 to show he's the backup option.

Richardson's fifth-year option is on the table, and I expect the Colts to decline to take it. Why would Indianapolis elect it for a third-string quarterback? It's simple: they won't do this.

Anything can happen in the NFL, but this seems like it's a rocky marriage headed straight for a sad divorce.

Whether it's Richardson's lack of discipline, work ethic, consistent play, or injuries; or, if Indianapolis botched his development isn't what's important.

Both sides have been a horrific match for the other, and I expect Richardson and his agent, Deiric Jackson, to request a trade. Indianapolis will take it too, as they want to get something out of their former QB investment that hasn't panned out in the slightest.

We'll see what happens as Indianapolis heads into a critical offseason where Ballard and Shane Steichen are clinging to their last chance to succeed.