The Indianapolis Colts quarterback situation in Indy is uncertain and therefore Anthony Richardson might have some competition vying for his job. Over the past two seasons, Richardson has been given the starting job. Going into year three, with more questions than answers surrounding his abilities, 2025 will be a crucial year for his development. Therefore, he will have to earn the starting job and it won’t be easy.

Chris Ballard addressed the Colts quarterback situation during his Year-End Press Conference. It was at that conference that Ballard spoke to the need for competition. In a nutshell, competition breeds improvement in players as it pushes them to be better. Anthony Richardson is in desperate need of improvement as a quarterback and therefore competition will be good for him. With this in mind, there are several potential candidates who the Colts could bring to push Richardson and make him, hopefully, better.

Three Quarterback Candidates Who Could Compete with Anthony Richardson

Sam Darnold

The biggest free-agent quarterback going into the 2025 season is 27-year-old veteran, Sam Darnold. His story in 2024 is very unique. Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-win season before losing in the Wild Card round in the playoffs. Many would suggest that Darnold deserves a starting job in 2025, but doubts are warranted. Darnold benefitted from a very good team in 2024 led by one of the league’s best receivers, Justin Jefferson. He also benefitted from a top-ten running back, Aaron Jones, and had a solid defense. The Colts could certainly use the veteran leadership and poise that Darnold brings as a quarterback. He is soft-spoken and knows how to manage football games.

Whether the Colts should go after someone as high-profile as Darnold remains to be seen. However, the kind of competition needed in the quarterback room is someone who can vie for Anthony Richardson’s starting job. Darnold would be that kind of quarterback.

Jameis Winston

Former number-one overall pick, Jameis Winston will be a free agent once again this offseason. Coming off an up-and-down 2024 season, Winston is looking for some stability and a place where he can bring stability. There is no question that Winston brings a level of juice and vocal leadership to a locker room. However, his days of being a starter have dwindled, especially since he has been unable to shake the pick-sixes. Therefore, Winston probably would not be a direct threat to the starting quarterback job, but he would provide the push that Richardson would need. As a starter in 2024, Winston went 2-5 and had 13 touchdowns on 2,121 yards, but also had 12 interceptions coupled with five fumbles.

Winston has shown life as a starter and most importantly, he can still win in this league. The Colts are still not certain whether Richardson will be a consistently healthy quarterback. Therefore, having a reliable backup who can come in and win games would be huge for their 2024 success.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Former two-time Super Bowl champion backup and Conference champion starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will be a free agent in 2025. Since his stint with the San Fransisco 49ers, Garoppolo has bounced from the Raiders to the Rams. In 2024, he saw the field once in a Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. It was in that matchup that Garoppolo showed the league that he can still play. He finished with 334 yards on 27 completions and had two touchdowns and one interception. Albeit in a meaningless game, Garoppolo still has great familiarity with the game and the position of quarterback. These are two things that Anthony Richardson lacks.

If the Colts were to bring Garoppolo in, the situation would be similar to Winston in the sense that Garoppolo would not be competing for the starting spot. He would be there to mentor Richardson and be the much-needed reliable backup. This is something that the Colts would be in desperate need of should Joe Flacco not return.

Main Image: Scott Galvin – USA Today Sports

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