The Colts Have Failed Anthony Richardson Sr.

It's understandable why Steichen chose Jones, as he's the more reliable and sure option at quarterback. However, Steichen wanted Richardson as his signal-caller from the day he was hired as Indy's next head coach.

Suddenly, after two mediocre seasons, and with his seat hot, Steichen has gone against his game plan and is going with Jones as his starter. Jones can potentially lead Indianapolis to the playoffs, but how far past that, given his career record of 24-44-1?

While Jones being the next starter will dominate headlines, with plenty of questions to follow, the better inquiry is regarding Richardson. One massive question must be presented: was it the Colts that failed Richardson?

The short answer is absolutely.

Steichen Pounded the Table for Richardson, but Now Wants Security

Steichen's philosophy upon joining the Colts as the head coach was to be explosive, pressing defenses in the passing game with big-time vertical shots and a potent ground attack with a quarterback who could make that happen.

That field general was the raw, but impressive prospect, Richardson from the University of Florida.

During his time with the Gators, Richardson didn't see much playing time in three years, but looked like one of the most promising quarterbacks Indianapolis could take to fit Steichen's scheme and develop under the QB guru.

Steichen saw time with the likes of Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts before taking the head coaching gig with the Colts. Initially, this looked like a brilliant marriage given how well Steichen understood and coached the field general position.

However, this fell apart quickly.

Richardson was injured against the Tennessee Titans during his rookie year and sustained an AC joint sprain, ending his debut campaign at just four games. The following season couldn't have gone worse for Richardson, as he played in 11 games and completed only 47.7 percent of his passes and threw 12 picks to eight TDs.

Now, in a third year where Richardson desperately needs reps and experience, Steichen has decided to abandon his initial idea and sit the young talent in favor of Jones, who has been as vanilla and unimpressive as any NFL quarterback.

It's a shame, but it's clear: Steichen wants to simply get to the playoffs and (potentially) push for a divisional title with Jones, if it saves his job. If more happens, it's a massive bonus. However, Jones hasn't shown the ability to be more in six seasons. We'll see if he can shut down critics.

Richardson Had Been Improving, and Jones Never Truly Separated

The big offseason story was Indy's battle to start at QB between Jones and Richardson, which made perfect sense: the next player to lead the offense might decide the juncture of the future of the franchise.

Jones and Richardson were 'neck and neck,' according to Steichen, at one point during training camp. This began to spin a narrative that Richardson would be given the starting position if it were this close, given how he needed reps and in-game experience, rather than just mental repetition.

The thought in this competition was that Jones needed to greatly distance himself from Richardson and appear to be the clear leader as a veteran quarterback. This was never the case, as Jones didn't look incredible at any point, or like he had a decisive lead over Richardson in the quarterback race.

This choice to start Jones suggests that Steichen made the decision early in the competition and was waiting to see if Richardson would take a clear lead. While Richardson never took off like a rocket in this battle, he appeared to be ahead of Jones.

If Steichen had made up his mind early on in this QB tilt, then the competition seems like it was pointless to have in the first place. Due to the head coach's decision, the team now must succeed in 2025, win the division, and make the playoffs, or it might be torn down to the studs.

Richardson's Future with the Colts is Completely Uncertain

This decision from Steichen appeared to be in the best interest of Richardson's development, albeit in a weird way. Could it be possible that sitting Richardson for the entire third year of his NFL career is what might be needed for him to take off? Maybe.

However, Richardson's agent, Deiric Jackson, voiced his displeasure with the situation. Now, after speaking with ESPN's Stephen Holder, it's apparent that there's turmoil and that Richardson's future in the Circle City might be in jeopardy.

The Indianapolis media interviewed Richardson after Jones was named the next starting quarterback, and the former fourth-overall selection gave vague and somewhat unencouraging answers.

"I have faith in God and whatever He has in store for me. I’m trusting in Him. I can’t really think about everything else … I gotta be where I am right now, and right now I’m an Indianapolis Colt."

Richardson sounds like a player who acknowledges he's literally with the Colts as a quarterback on the depth chart, and nothing more. The young field general seems a bit frustrated with the choice to start Jones over him, despite it not showing on his sleeve.

We'll see how this plays out with Richardson and his agent, as both are upset with Indianapolis. Regardless of what's being said behind the scenes with this situation, it's not good, and it appears like the Colts are giving up on their high-end draft investment. Nobody should be surprised if a trade request is made in the future.

The Bottom Line

The Colts have abandoned Richardson for the 2025 season. Yes, he tapped out of a game last year. Yes, he looked brutally bad throwing the football. And yes, he had massive injury issues, playing in just 15 out of a possible 34 games.

But none of these happenings are reasons not to play the young talent-he desperately needs the experience. Jones is a clear pick to save face for Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard. While it makes sense that Jones is experienced and has the capabilities to run the offense, he doesn't have a good track record as a winning quarterback and isn't even the best fit for the offensive scheme.

Steichen had better hope to the highest degree that Jones pans out and wins this year. If this team looks mediocre again, finishing with eight or nine wins and no divisional championship or playoff spot, Steichen may be done after three years with Indianapolis.

The Colts are in one of the most stressful spots the franchise has ever been in, and if this decision backfires, expect the Irsay sisters to make huge changes from the top down with their franchise.

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