Richardson’s case is the latest in a disturbing trend – BOFA Sports

His career appeared to be “over” after losing the competition for the Colts’ starting quarterback

The preseason is officially over in the NFL, and a week from Thursday, the regular season will be upon us. As teams begin their final preparations for Week 1, there are still several items on the list to check off. One of those things includes reducing the roster to 53 players, with a deadline set for Tuesday afternoon at 4pm Eastern Time (ET). Like any team, the Indianapolis Colts have some tough decisions to make, and one of them may involve the future of quarterback Anthony Richardson. Two years ago, this scenario might have seemed far from reality, but the situation Richardson faces today represents a trend that should be avoided with a simple understanding and assessment of talent evaluations.

Before we get into the troubling patterns plaguing the league, let’s start with its origin story. Richardson was selected by the Colts with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft (the third QB taken that year after Bryce Young and CJ Stroud). As with all of these picks, the goal is to find a franchise-changing player who can be the foundation for a bright future, and based on the raw talent Richardson possesses, there’s reason to believe why Indianapolis thinks they found their man. Despite his prominent physical attributes, playing the QB position well was always a question, as Richardson was inconsistent at best during his days at Florida, finishing 2022 with a 53.8 completion percentage. The statistics alone should give scouting departments (along with general managers and head coaches) pause when considering whether or not a quarterback is ready for the next level, but with hunger for the position being at an all-time high, statistics can be seen as a minor detail, second only to the number of highlights seen from college. What players do at the NFL combine and pro day matters more, and that may be the case for Richardson.

Despite the red flags, the Colts felt good about their selection, and with the arrival of Richardson the same year that Shane Steichen was hired as head coach, a nucleus was formed. If anyone is qualified to polish Richardson’s skill set, it’s considered Steichen. He was the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles when they lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs the previous year. Because of his role in helping Jalen Hurts develop into one of the better QBs, the thinking is he could do the same with Richardson, who has a similar body type to Hurts. At the start of 2023, things look bright for this newly formed partnership, as the newcomer is showing good numbers. Unfortunately, Richardson’s season was cut short due to a shoulder injury he suffered in early October. Fast forward to 2024, and conditioning issues surfaced in a critical division matchup with the Houston Texans. Richardson “came out” of the game due to exhaustion, an action that many saw as a stoppage for his teammates. Combine that with the season he was having up until the Week 8 contest (4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 44.4 completion percentage), and losing faith in the man who was supposed to be the leader and franchise player becomes more than a possibility.

After Indianapolis saw the quarterback position alternate between Richardson and Joe Flacco (now back with the Cleveland Browns) last season, training camp presents a new opportunity for the maligned raw talent to earn a starting job. Instead, Steichen (with possible help from GM Chris Ballard) decided to name Daniel Jones, someone who was with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings before coming to Indy, as the future starter. Now, questions about trust are starting to emerge, and the team’s relationship with the player is hanging in the balance. Of course, the first thing the media and fans want to do is take the blame for why the Colts and Richardson’s problems seem bleak. It may be true that Steichen and Ballard don’t provide the best situation for Richardson to succeed, but ultimately (and perhaps the main reason), the player is likely overrated, and not ready to play at a level where he could be considered a competent QB in the NFL. The other elephant in the room is that Steichen and Ballard are not completely secure in their respective positions. So they will do what they feel gives them the best chance of keeping their job and winning football games. Apparently, they trusted Jones more in that endeavor than Richardson.

In total, this is just the latest case of quarterbacks being placed too high, when a little research (and a simple eye test) would tell a different story. Another troubling trend is the rush to dismiss BS opinions, calling Richardson a “failure” after just two seasons in the league. It’s true that his career path hasn’t gotten off to a great start, but the guy is only 23 years old, and his raw talent still stands out (this is coming from someone who has been highly critical of his game). Let’s see if he can work on his craft and get another chance to show he can be a franchise QB, whether in Indianapolis or elsewhere. History says Jones won’t make it through a full season without getting injured and/or sitting on the bench. If and when that happens, Richardson needs to be ready, because if not, there could be a bit of potential for it to fail.