NFL World Losing Faith in Colts' Anthony Richardson

Confidence is at a new low in Indianapolis Colts' field general Anthony Richardson.

Oct 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks up after a play during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson will be in the national spotlight as the 2025 season fast approaches. This comes as expected given his rough 2024 season and the investment that Indianapolis put into him with a fourth-overall selection in 2023.

Now, Richardson's erratic play has led to the Colts investing more into the quarterback position by signing veteran and former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to the ranks, so Richardson has competition to (hopefully) bring out better on-field play.

However, until Richardson proves he can make a bigger leap in the right direction, he'll be ranked near the back of the NFL field generals. Pro Football Focus believes this is the case, slotting him 30th out of 32 possible spots. Below is the opinion of PFF analyst John Kosko.

"Richardson could arguably be slotted in Tier 5, as he’s yet to complete a full, healthy season since entering the NFL. The concerns go beyond durability. His grading profile is poor, and he struggles to run an efficient offense, read defenses and deliver the ball accurately. In fact, his accuracy ranks among the worst in the league. With Daniel Jones waiting in the wings, Richardson faces an uphill battle and could be on a short leash if early-season improvement doesn’t materialize."

Richardson has hardly played through two campaigns, notching only 15 out of 34 possible games. This equates to only 44.1 percent of possible games played. While Richardson has struggled with on-field play, his availability might be his biggest issue to date.

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Nov 17, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) throws against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

As Kosko mentions, Richardson is 'yet to complete a full, healthy season since entering the NFL.' While it's only two years, it's alarming that he's so easily knocked out of games and doesn't seem to have high-level awareness.

As Kosko also mentions, Jones is ready to start and will train hard to get the position. Jones hasn't had great success, but he's a better pure quarterback than Richardson. Right now, Jones tops Richardson in accuracy, mechanics, ability to run an offense, and now has the best offensive weapons as a group he's ever been surrounded by.

Some may look at the Richardson-Jones quarterback battle and assume Richardson will take over, but it isn't as massive a disparity as it seems. Jones can operate Shane Steichen's offense and is athletic enough to make it happen with his legs. Throughout Jones' career, he's tallied 2,179 rushing yards, a 5.5 yards per carry average, and 15 rushing scores.

The pressure has never been greater on Richardson, and if he wants to jump the rankings from a gross 30th spot, he has to do something better than his 2024 campaign. After the Colts acquired Tyler Warren at tight end, the hype is high, but Warren's impact will be lessened if Richardson gets the start, then can't complete easier passes as he's struggled with.

Richardson will do everything possible and apply his skills to show Steichen and the Colts' organization he's the guy to turn to under center. We'll see how things pan out in a huge storyline for the NFL.

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