Colts GM stresses need to add competition for Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis QB room

Anthony Richardson will be back with the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, but things will look different in Indianapolis’ quarterback room.

General manager Chris Ballard said at his end-of-year presser Friday that Richardson will have competition since “he’s not proven he can play 17 games.”

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“Like we can’t beat our head against the wall,” Ballard said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “We’ve got to have competition at the position just for the fact that, one, competition makes everybody better and, two, he’s not proven he can play 17 games.”

Richardson, selected No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida, has played in just 15-of-34 possible games over the last two seasons. He missed 13 games in his rookie campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint sprain. He missed Weeks 5 and 6 this season with an oblique injury, only to return in Week 7. Head coach Shane Steichen benched him in favor of Joe Flacco due to poor performance after Week 8 but went back to Richardson in Week 11. Richardson then missed the final two games with a disk issue in his lower back.

Anthony Richardson a ‘roller-coaster’ for Colts

When he’s been on the field, Richardson has been up-and-down. Over the last two seasons, he has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 50.6% passing. Richardson has also rushed for 635 yards and 10 scores.

Ballard stopped short of definitively labeling Richardson the team’s franchise quarterback.

“I don’t think we can completely stamp it,” Ballard said. “We’ve seen some good things … Look, I like Anthony, and Anthony has done some really good things, but there’s been some potholes, too.

“We knew when he took him it was going to be a roller-coaster.”

As for the Colts, it’s been four straight years without a playoff appearance. Ballard knows there’s a lot of pressure to get it right in 2025.

“There’s definitely a sense of guilt for not getting it done at this time,” Ballard said. “I’m very hard-headed. I’m very stubborn. I am. I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m no because I am. Having to really self-evaluate how we build the team and how we move forward is extremely important.”