Colts principal owner discusses 'sense of urgency' regarding QB Anthony Richardson

Third-year pro Anthony Richardson may find himself battling for more than just the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback job this summer. 

For a lengthy piece produced by JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' website, new team principal owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon addressed Richardson's uncertain future. 

"Where he is in his career and in his deal as a rookie, we still have time," Irsay-Gordon said about Richardson. "He still has time to prove it. ...Bring a sense of urgency. And nothing brings a sense of urgency more than competition."

The fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson has mostly been a disappointment since being named Indianapolis' Week 1 QB1 as a rookie. Injuries limited him to just 15 starts out of 32 games over his first two seasons. He also briefly became the subject of some trade rumors last fall when he was benched for a pair of contests after he removed himself from a game because he was "tired." 

Additionally, Richardson hasn't yet shown via his on-field performances that he can be a long-term answer for an NFL team. According to Pro Football Reference stats, he ended the 2024 regular season ranked last in the league among qualified quarterbacks with a 61.6 passer rating and a 47.7 percent completion percentage. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen seemingly understood they couldn't afford to enter this summer being all-in on moving forward with Richardson as the club's starter. Indianapolis signed Daniel Jones early in free agency, long before Richardson was shut down from throwing in late May after he experienced pain in his surgically-repaired shoulder. 

As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson as a -130 betting favorite to start Indianapolis' Week 1 game versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7 over Jones (+102 odds). Such forecasts suggest Richardson may be good to go for the Colts' preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 7. 

It remains to be seen how Richardson's shoulder will respond to preparing for the Ravens matchup. Truth be told, he could be just one physical setback away from losing the QB1 gig to Jones for more than just a game or two.