Colts' Anthony Richardson Tanks in New QB Ranks

The Indianapolis Colts, as a whole, have a lot to prove to the NFL in 2025, but arguably none more than third-year quarterback Anthony Richardson.

After being made the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson's upside was too much for the Colts to pass up, and the notion that he needed more game reps in order to develop led to him being named the team's Week 1 starter.

Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after just four starts, which kick-started the narrative of him being injury-prone. Now, through two seasons, Richardson has started just 15 games out of a possible 34, missing 17 due to various injuries and being benched briefly for a two-game stretch in 2024.

With this being just the tip of the iceberg, John Kosko of Pro Football Focus has ranked Richardson in the doldrums of the NFL QB hierarchy, sitting at 30th out of 32 starters, ahead of only the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mason Rudolph and rookie Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints.

"Richardson... (has) yet to complete a full, healthy season since entering the NFL," Kosko wrote. "The concerns go beyond durability. His grading profile is poor, and he struggles to run an efficient offense, read defenses, and deliver the ball accurately. In fact, his accuracy ranks among the worst in the league... With Daniel Jones waiting in the wings, Richardson faces an uphill battle and could be on a short leash if early-season improvement doesn’t materialize."

As Kosko mentioned, on top of the injury concerns, Richardson has been (statistically) historically inaccurate, as his 47.7% completion percentage is a single-season worst in Colts franchise history. While there is no argument that Richardson's numbers are subpar as a passer, it's not that black and white. There is context to include.

Richardson showed right away in Week 1 of 2024 that the deep pass would be a strength of his game, coming away with a few magnificent downfield shots that would set the tone for the Colts' entire passing game throughout the season. The Colts became way too reliant on downfield throws, which will always carry a lower completion percentage than any other scheme. Richardson's Average Depth of Target of 12.3 yards downfield was comfortably the highest in the NFL.

However, Richardson was actually an effective thrower downfield. According to Fantasy Points Data, Richardson threw a catchable pass on 76% of his throws 20-plus yards downfield with a clean pocket in 2024, which ranked second out of 33 eligible passers. Richardson's pass-catchers dropped a league-high 18% of these throws.

Overall, Richardson's pass-catchers were unreliable at times, credited with 24 drops throughout the season and ranking 18th out of 32 in receiving grade (73.8), according to PFF.

Through two seasons, Richardson holds an 8-7 record as a starter and has completed 176-of-348 passes (50.6%) for 2,391 yards (6.9 YPA), 11 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a passer rating of 67.8. Has also amassed 635 yards and 10 touchdowns on 111 carries.

Richardson has a lot to prove that he's not the "bust" that many already see him as, most notably that he can stay healthy for an entire season. But, he has to reclaim the Colts' QB1 spot first.