The Indianapolis Colts will hold an open competition for their starting quarterback role this summer, said GM Chris Ballard at the NFL Combine on Tuesday.
Anthony Richardson will, of course, be one of the participants, and the Colts will explore all avenues when it comes to bringing in a competitor.
“Everything’s on the table,” said Ballard about bringing in a quarterback to compete. “It’ll be open (the competition) and it’s gotta be someone who can really challenge from a production standpoint too.”
However, when it comes to outside options with creating that competition, there may not be many alternatives for the Colts.
This is not necessarily new news, but an important distinction in what Ballard mentioned on Tuesday versus what he said after the season is that not only will be competition be added but that the competition will be an open one, suggesting that there will be no “favorite,” so to speak, at the beginning of training camp. Both quarterbacks will begin in equal standing and the best player will be the starter.
Richardson finished the 2024 season completing a league-low 47.7% of his passes at 6.9 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Richardson did improve after he returned to the starting lineup following being benched. Not only numbers-wise but from a process standpoint. This included two game-winning drives late in the fourth quarter.
However, overall was still inconsistent. In addition to being more steady, Ballard also mentioned after the season that Richardson has to show that he can be available for all 17 games as well.
The Colts knew that when they drafted Richardson time was going to be required in order for him to grow. This competition is not Indianapolis giving up on Richardson, but Ballard believes this can help his game level up.
“We want to create real competition,” Ballard added. “I think it’s good for the team and I think it’s good for Anthony. We drafted Anthony high knowing it was going to take some time and we knew there was going to be some hiccups along the way. I think as he continues to progress in his young career, us adding competition will help up everybody’s game.”
One stark difference this offseason compared to last for Richardson is that he is fully healthy and able to get to work right away rather than rehabbing.
It’s also been reported that Richarson is working with the same quarterbacks coach who helped Josh Allen early on in his career.
(This article was updated to provide additional information.)