The Indianapolis Colts have turned to a veteran backup quarterback in consecutive seasons to replace Anthony Richardson, first due to an injury and then due to an in-season benching. As Richardson heads into a critical 2025 campaign, he will now face strong competition from a veteran signal-caller in training camp.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, made just four starts in his rookie season before undergoing shoulder surgery. While Gardner Minshew performed well as a fill-in starter, the Colts’ quarterback of the future lost out on valuable development time.
In 2024, Richardson posted a 4-7 TD-INT ratio with a 44.4 percent completion rate and a 57.2 QB rating in his first six starts. The struggles led to Indianapolis benching its former top pick, giving the starting job to Joe Flacco. However, Richardson reclaimed the starting job in Week 11. After showing minimal improvements – a 4-5 TD-INT ratio, 51.1 percent completion rate and 66.2 QB rating – the Colts made a decision.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine, Colts general manager Chris Ballard announced that the team would add a veteran quarterback in NFL free agency to challenge Richardson for the starting job.
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