The Indianapolis Colts' preseason is about to be off and running against the Baltimore Ravens, kicking off the first of three preliminary contests before the regular season officially gets underway in September.
And for the Colts and their outlook for Thursday, no one on the roster may have more attention centered upon them than third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, preparing to be the starting signal caller to begin the night, and having a golden opportunity to prove himself as a worthy QB1 ahead of Week One.
But for Richardson, while a huge opportunity lies ahead, there's a ton of pressure to be had as well. If things go positively and he showcases notable strides in his progression, all is well. But, if he starts to stumble and make similar brutal mistakes and inefficiencies as last year, the noise could get very loud, very quickly.
With that in mind, Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker recently stacked up Richardson as one of the top 10 players in the league who needs to have a positive preseason more than anyone, as his status as a starting NFL quarterback could easily find itself in limbo with the wrong steps.
"Richardson’s status entering the 2025 NFL season has been one of the top storylines throughout the offseason," Locker wrote. "With the third-year quarterback seemingly recovered from a nagging shoulder injury, all eyes are now turned to his preseason play."
"In his second season with the Colts, the former fourth-overall pick generated only a 62.2 PFF overall grade and a 59.8 PFF passing grade. Richardson's erratic performance yielded a 6.8% big-time throw rate, which ranked second behind Josh Allen among qualified quarterbacks, but also a 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate (third highest). On top of that, his 60.2% adjusted completion percentage was the league’s lowest."
"The former Florida product finds himself entrenched in a competition to be the Colts’ starter with newcomer Daniel Jones, with the team unofficially designating the pair as co-starters on its initial depth chart. As dire as it may sound, this preseason may be Richardson's final chance to prove himself as an NFL starting quarterback, with his future in Indianapolis hanging in the balance."
After a hectic OTAs and minicamp that was plagued by Richardson's shoulder injury, that's now in the rear-view mirror. He's earned the keys to the first preseason start of the year, has shown notable signs in training camp, and with that, could have the perfect storm to see the arrow trend in the right direction in preseason rolling into next month.
But, there's a world where catastrophe could ensue for Richardson if the aspired steps forward don't come to light, Daniel Jones comes in to make a worthwhile impression, then the entire landscape of his third year in Indianapolis takes a drastic turn in the wrong direction.
So, it's easy to see why this preseason could be extremely vital for Richardson to get right, as it could be his best shot to start on the right foot for 2025. Time will tell if it comes to fruition.
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