It's Clear What May Become of Anthony Richardson Sr.

Whether before, during, or after the draft, Richardson absolutely needs a new setting.

The Colts drafted Richardson far before he was ready to step foot onto an NFL field.

Richardson had few starts with the Florida Gators (13), which made him one of, if not the, most inexperienced first-round quarterbacks in NFL history.

He also struggled with injuries in college. So, this lack of experience, mixed with a big-time injury history, already put Richardson behind the eight ball against NFL defenses.

Shane Steichen and his coaching staff did everything possible to develop Richardson, and in the NFL, nobody waits for a first-rounder to learn behind a veteran. Rather, he was tossed into the starting fray.

He played only four games during his rookie year due to an AC joint sprain. Following this, he saw 11 games in 2024, but was awful. He also sustained more injuries that removed six games from his valuable sophomore campaign.

In his stead, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco started six games and played in eight total games. Indianapolis would whiff on the playoffs that year, finishing 8-9.

Next, Odegard asked Shipley about if he believes Richardson can become a franchise quarterback based on his NFL tape. Shipley shot this answer straight.

“I don’t really believe in potential, especially when you’re 22 years old. There’s not much more room to grow. You can understand the game better, which will make you better, but you’ve got to have 8 out of 10 boxes checked at that point.”

Shipley is brutally honest with this answer, and it makes sense. While Richardson will be just 24 by the time the NFL season starts, and there's time to develop, he already seems to be what he is.

Yes, the Colts are to blame, to a degree, for Richardson's immense struggles. However, Richardson looked utterly lost when under center.

Whether it was a vast inability to read defenses, or inadequate discipline, Richardson appeared to be overwhelmed.

One play during the 2025 preseason perfectly encapsulates how tough it was for Richardson to understand what he was seeing from defenses.

Against the Baltimore Ravens, Richardson failed to identify a free rusher off the right side, which led to David Ojabo obliterating the QB. This led to an injury to Richardson's hand while in the midst of the quarterback battle with Daniel Jones.

Not only did Richardson not adjust, but he also focused his attention on the left side of the field. The problem? Running back D.J. Giddens and wideout Ashton Dulin were wide open... on the opposite side.

This allowed Jones to come in and command the offense when Richardson was supposed to be under center proving to the Colts he was the starting QB.

This isn't to pile negativity onto Richardson. But this is an easy adjustment for any NFL-level signal-caller, and Richardson completely missed it.

Last, Odegard inquired about the possibility that Richardson could be a backup in the league.

“Maybe backup is his world. I’ve watched backups play 14 years and live a great life.

But if you’re a backup, you’ve got to bring a different skillset. That’s on the board, that’s being a mentor, helping the (starter) by writing reports.

You’ve got to find your niche. Jameis (Winston) has done a great job of transitioning into that world. It’s OK. Everybody doesn’t need to be the guy.”

This is likely Richardson's trajectory at best.

Honestly, this might be reaching to call Richardson a capable backup quarterback. It's simply hard to imagine that even the most respected QB guru can salvage Richardson into a serviceable field general.

For Richardson to be a true backup, he'll need to at least complete 60 percent of his passes, limit turnovers, show immense discipline, and exemplify the attributes of a leader.

Sadly, he's done none of these things and looks far from this level of quarterbacking.

Say what you like about Steichen, but he's a fantastic coach for quarterbacks. Philip Rivers, Jalen Hurts, and Justin Herbert all were coached by Steichen, and flourished.

Yes, Rivers is a future Hall of Famer. Hurts is a former Super Bowl champion. Herbert is one of the best QBs in the league. However, Steichen helped get these quarterbacks to that level.

Richardson's future in the NFL is incredibly difficult to forecast with how little he's played, but I can't imagine he'll turn a corner over one or two years.

Richardson has all of the tools to be a serious issue for defenses to deal with, and there were flashes of his capabilities during his time with Indianapolis. But those were once in a blue moon.

Is there a chance that Richardson destroys the detractors' opinions? Of course. He has the athleticism, size, and talent to make that happen.

But NFL quarterbacks succeed with how well they understand their offense, reads, game plans, and adversity. So far in his short NFL stint, Richardson is light years away from this.

Shipley's assessment of Richardson is on point, and it might be tough to accept.

We'll see if Indianapolis finds a trade suitor for Richardson, and if they do, if he can elevate to his fourth-overall stock elsewhere.

But there's even a reality where the Colts can't trade him, which would force them to decide on his fifth-year option by May 1st, which they'll likely turn down.

Richardson's time with Indianapolis has been a rough one, but perhaps another team has the perfect setup to bring out the best from the dynamic QB.