The Indianapolis Colts have to make a decision on Anthony Richardson. After drafting him in 2023, the first two years haven’t offered enough for the fan base or the organization themselves to be convinced of him as the future of the team. While his arm talent is through the roof, he hasn’t put it all together, leading to inconsistencies plaguing his entire tenure so far.
This offseason, Chris Ballard had a clear plan in mind to bring the best out of Richardson. In one of their biggest moves of the offseason, the Colts signed Daniel Jones to engage in a competition with their third-year star for the starting job. Depending on how things proceed, Indianapolis would have its answer by the end of the season. So far, though, through training camp, one name has clearly been better than the other.
Can Anthony Richardson Retain His Spot As Indianapolis Colts Starter?
After being drafted fourth overall, Richardson hasn’t done enough to hold a vice grip over the starter’s role. During his rookie season in the NFL, he got just four starts and wowed nearly everyone with his potential.
However, Year 2 was a different story altogether. Playing in 11 games, he had a sub-50% completion percentage while throwing for just 1,814 yards and eight touchdowns, while recording an absurd 12 interceptions.
It forced some hard conversations in Indianapolis, leading to the decision to bring in Jones to potentially bring out the best of their first-round investment from 2022. As it turns out, the effect on Richardson might have been overall positive.
Even as the competition for the Week 1 starter rages on, for Destin Adams of A to Z Sports, the answer is clear as day through the first week of training camp action. “The winner of week one was Richardson, who simply stood out more.”
However, he did have one caveat with that distinction. “Let’s be clear, though, that neither QB was good enough during the first week, and the team would be in trouble if this is the level of QB that takes the field in week one vs. the Miami Dolphins.”
However, he is hoping for at least a slight improvement in the coming weeks and months. “Luckily, there’s a lot of training camp and preseason football still to come, and neither is close to playing their best football.”
Speaking about his performance, Jackson credited Richardson with his always dependable arm strength. However, far more importantly, the youngster “showed improved accuracy in the short and intermediate routes. We’ll see if he can build off that and show he is ready to make the “layup” plays when the team needs him to do so.”
#Colts QBs Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones in 1-on-1s. pic.twitter.com/xrf9762zFq
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 28, 2025
Neither quarterback has impressed Jackson enough to be the Week 1 starter. But, between the diminished options, he believes Richardson is the clear-cut choice. Maybe that is enough to determine the competition Ballard started for the position.
However, it might be the length of the season that finally decided the verdict on Richardson.
