The Indianapolis Colts wish they had made a different decision in 2023.
The Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft after the dual-threat quarterback had an incredible third season at Florida. He threw for 2,549 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in his first season as a full-time starter.
Given the momentum Richardson had at Florida in 2022 and with Indianapolis during OTAs, then-first-year head coach Shane Steichen named the former Gators quarterback the Colts’ starter in the middle of preseason.
Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has “regret” in not waiting to start Richardson until he was better adjusted to the league.
“The regret is real, from both player and team,” Keefer wrote. “Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own.”
“He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told The Athletic. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.”
But, Ballard concedes, “when you take one high, there’s an expectation. The pressure to play the kid is real.”
Richardson suffered a couple of injuries in his rookie season before his campaign ended in October when he had to have shoulder surgery.
He also dealt with injuries and a brief benching in favor of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in 2024. In his 15 games played in two seasons, Richardson has thrown for 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 635 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Before training camp this summer, the team declared Richardson and former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones would compete for the starting job for 2025.
Despite Richardson’s status as a starter being unknown this year, Ballard isn’t considering releasing or trading the 23-year-old quarterback. He thinks Richardson can be a starter by 2026.
The tricky part now for the Colts is that they must unlock Richardson’s talent while also encouraging the young quarterback. Frankly, it won’t be good for his confidence if he gets beaten out by Jones in training camp.
As the No. 4 pick in the draft, 2023 should have been the year for a real quarterback competition. Instead, a difficult situation has been created for the Colts and Richardson, and it serves as a lesson for overeager general managers and coaches.
