The Indianapolis Colts found a diamond in the rough in the form of Daniel Jones. Bringing him in as competition to Anthony Richardson Sr. last season, he immediately won over the starting QB role and had a stellar start to the year.
Injuries derailed Jones’ campaign, but expectations remain high for what he can accomplish this season. As a direct consequence, their former first-round pick’s standing with the franchise has fallen dramatically. And Richardson’s latest preseason showing has left fans split in their opinions.
The Best and Worst of Anthony Richardson Sr.
Opening their preseason slate against the New England Patriots, the raw numbers for Richardson were stellar. Completing 11 of 14 passes, he was his usual electric self, constantly hunting for big plays.
Totaling 145 passing yards at over 10 yards per attempt, he also threw an interception, though it wasn’t entirely his doing, as the ball was deflected off his receiver’s hands before being picked off. But Richardson also proved his viability on the ground, recording 53 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Unfortunately, even with a strong stat line, some obvious mistakes were hard to ignore. Chief among them was a fumble in the second quarter, where he missed two open reads and tried to force something more with his legs.
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As a result, fans are split down the middle about what to expect from him. While some saw the overall game as a major positive, others couldn’t shake the mistakes that had directly cost the Colts.
Chase Daniel, who spent 14 years in the NFL at the quarterback position, believed that the upside was more valuable than the problems, writing, “Anthony Richardson playing like someone who wants another chance…FAST.”
A different former quarterback, Kurt Benkert, had a different reading of the game, writing, “Passing up two checkdowns to his right if he just stays with the progression (in a clean pocket) to then have a solid run end in a fumble is the epitome of the AR5 experience.”
Passing up two checkdowns to his right if he just stays with the progression (in a clean pocket) to then have a solid run end in a fumble is the epitome of the AR5 experience. pic.twitter.com/fxGsIT7aZl
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) August 14, 2026
ESPN’s Sam Block, too, was left impressed with the performance, claiming, “31 NFL teams should seriously think about taking a chance on Anthony Richardson. The guy is just loaded with talent. STILL ONLY 24 YEARS OLD.”
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Colts beat writer John Davis, too, was a huge fan of the performance, stating, “Anthony Richardson either just earned himself a team offering the Colts a sixth-round pick to be their backup or the team’s QB2 spot. Knowing Steichen, he’ll put more weight into next week’s matchup anyway, so what’s it matter?”
Anthony Richardson either just earned himself a team offering the Colts a sixth-round pick to be their backup or the team’s QB2 spot.
Knowing Steichen, he’ll put more weight into next week’s matchup anyways, so what’s it matter
— John Davis (@joohndavis) August 14, 2026
For some fans, though, the lowlights were impossible to ignore. One account that covers the Patriots was left stunned, as he wrote, “Anthony Richardson is so bad. What a terrible draft pick.”
Ian Hartitz summed it up perfectly as he wrote, “Anthony Richardson with two turnovers and 14.2 fantasy points in the first half pretty much sums up the Anthony Richardson experience.”
Entering his fourth season in the league, there is still a ton of time left for Richardson to have a full-blown career renaissance. But, after tying themselves to Jones with a contract extension this past offseason, it’s unlikely that Indianapolis can give him a proper runway.
But the upside and potential from these preseason performances could be enough for some quarterback-hungry teams to take a swing on him and see how he performs with a longer leash.
