The Indianapolis Colts were hoping their quarterback woes of a decade, since Peyton Manning was slinging it across the field, would come to an end with Anthony Richardson. However, through his first two seasons, Richardson has failed to impress and give the Colts reassurance of his standing as the franchise quarterback.
As a result, this offseason, Indianapolis had to resort to signing Daniel Jones in free agency to compete with and potentially stabilize the quarterback position. With the team that desperate, one analyst believes they could start their search anew in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts Moving On From Anthony Richardson?
The fourth overall pick in 2023, inconsistency has plagued Richardson’s entire tenure in the NFL. After a rookie season where he played four games and tallied 577 yards with three touchdowns, hopes were high that he could develop.
However, Year 2 was far from ideal. In 11 games, he totaled just 1,814 yards, while throwing 12 interceptions against just eight scores. Even though he has a cannon for an arm, the efficiency (47.7 completion percentage and 61.6 passer rating) was hard to stomach. Those numbers put him near the bottom of starting quarterbacks in both categories, making it difficult for the Colts to justify keeping him as their long-term answer.
As a result, Matt Miller of ESPN, in his latest mock draft, believes the Colts are ready to move on. Giving them the 11th overall pick in 2026, Miller believes their quarterback of choice could be the successor to Jayden Daniels at LSU, Garrett Nussmeier.
Claiming that their current situation will leave them “in search of a quarterback,” Miller argued that the perfect candidate was the Tigers’ signal-caller. “The son of Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Garrett plays with fire and energy and isn’t afraid to take chances.”
The only knock against Nussmeier is the turnovers, and Miller believes cutting down on those could help his strengths, “the velocity, accuracy, and playmaking ability,” to shine through. For a team that watched Richardson struggle with decision-making, finding a quarterback who can maintain his aggressiveness while protecting the football becomes crucial.
Garrett Nussmeier’s Breakout Season Shows Promise
After barely getting reps in his first three years, Nussmeier was thrust into the starting role at LSU last season and immediately flourished. Tallying 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns (more than the 11 in his previous three seasons), he had 12 interceptions, while being sacked 16 times. Those numbers represent a massive jump in production and show he can handle the pressure of being the primary option.
However, he isn’t a consensus choice for the Colts. In his latest mock draft, Max Dorsey of PFSN has Indianapolis having a worse year and finishing with the seventh overall pick, where they can target Drew Allar out of Penn State.
Dorsey, too, believes that Richardson’s time is coming to an end, leaving their long-term starter open for sale. Dorsey believes the Colts could repeat their formula for Richardson with the Allar selection, albeit while hoping for a different result.
Coincidentally, some see Allar as a true floor general. For the Colts to want someone to take over the Sheriff mantle, there might not be a more apt description for their next quarterback.
With Drew Allar, you have a field general under center. Can make pre-snap checks and cue motions. You can execute action rollouts and move the pocket with him. And his easy velocity and angle freedom enables him to layer quick-hitting passes when in-rhythm. pic.twitter.com/eV41kNVbat
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) May 5, 2025
“Allar is a polarizing prospect with some believing he’s not worthy of a first-round selection. However, the Penn State product has the best raw arm talent in this class and saw a significant jump in accuracy from 2023 to 2024.”
While not as raw as a prospect, Allar still has to show significant improvement to justify a top-10 selection, after tallying 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns as a starter last year. But, in terms of pure talent, he fits the bill to a tee. The question becomes whether Indianapolis wants to take another swing at a developmental quarterback or look for someone more pro-ready who can step in immediately and compete with Jones for the starting job.