A large chunk of the Indianapolis Colts' offseason has centered around their decisions and future to come at the quarterback position.
It was far from a perfect year two for 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson. The second-year signal caller suffered from multiple points of inconsistency, inaccuracy, and injuries, effectively derailing any positive momentum coming to form on the Colts' hopeful face of the franchise.
Then, the offseason rolled around, the Colts made the move to add competition in the room by signing former first-rounder Daniel Jones, setting the stage for an intriguing quarterback battle to ensue entering the 2025 season.
On paper, that's far from the best start to anyone's career in the NFL, and following such a bumpy start, questions are bound to follow, pondering whether or not Richardson has the means to be the future franchise guy. However, that doesn't mean the Colts brass has lost hope on Richardson and his role as the team's future starting quarterback.
In fact, Colts general manager Chris Ballard dropped some eye-catching and interestingly positive comments on the situation with Richardson during an interview on Up & Adams, making sure to emphasize the necessary confidence in his top-five pick from just two years ago.
"You're seeing guys go on their second, third, fourth team, and they're being successful," Ballard said. "Especially with young quarterbacks, we want them to be superstars right away, and that's not always the case... Knowing Anthony, and knowing how young he was, and the lack of experience, and what he's gained so far, and what he's going to gain going forward –– we still think there's major upside. When that happens? I'm not Nostradamus in that way, but we think it'll happen eventually."
When factoring in the initial sample size with Richardson, it's easy to have concerns about how his development track has looked, and how things could pan out moving forward. He finished last season logging 1,814 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 picks on a 47.7% completion rate through 11 starts.
Numbers-wise, it's not too pretty, and it's fair to have those varying concerns about his long-term success in the league.
Still, Ballard and the Colts brass see the vision with Richardson. The unreal physical tools provide an unreal ceiling for how versatile and dynamic this offense can be at his peak, though there still need to be a few aspects buttoned up in the process before we see the 2023 first-rounder reach that level.
With a bit of newfound competition in the building this season, along with a full offseason of progression, the stage could be set for the arrow to turn upwards on Richardson's development. Adding another supporting piece or two in the draft might not hurt either, but time will tell how the Colts brass attack those plans later this month.
Regardless, Ballard is seemingly assured that Richardson can put together the pieces in due time. If he can, it'll mean major things for the future of this Colts regime, but the outcome remains to be seen whether Richardson can make it click.
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