The Indianapolis Colts will have competition for Anthony Richardson at quarterback in 2025, said general manager Chris Ballard when meeting with reporters on Friday.
“We knew when we took him it was going to be a roller coaster,” Ballard said of Richardson. “The number one thing we have to figure out and have to work through is he’s got to stay healthy. That, to me, is the biggest question.
“We have to have competition at the position because competition makes you better and because he’s not proven he can stay healthy for 17 games.”
In his first two NFL seasons, Richardson has appeared in just 15 out of a possible 34 games. Excluding the two games this season in which he was benched, 17 of those absences have been due to injury, which includes missing the final two games of this season with back spasms.
Along with staying healthy, Ballard also mentioned the need for improved consistency from Richardson. While he showcased big play ability, his struggles on the short to intermediate passing routes made sustaining drives on offense quite the challenge.
Richardson would finish the 2024 season with a league-low completion rate of just 47.7%. However, Ballard did say that he believes Richardson’s accuracy can improve, and mentioned the progress they saw from him against the New York Jets, Detroit, and New England after returning to the starting lineup.
Ballard didn’t provide specifics into whether adding competition meant bringing in another veteran or perhaps selecting an early round quarterback in this year’s draft. Those conversations are still to come.
Recently, Richardson was asked about there being potential competition this upcoming season, and if there is, he’s going to embrace it and be ready for it.
“I’m a natural competitor,” Richardson said via the team site. “I’ve been competing all my life. I love competing. So if the team feels like that’s the right direction we want to go in, I’m all for competing.”