There is a bevy of leadership changes destined to come for the Indianapolis Colts, but their main concern needs to be at quarterback. Ever since the abrupt retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019, the Colts have struggled to find their franchise quarterback. In 2023, they drafted Anthony Richardson with the fourth overall pick and did so with the hope that he would lead their team long-term. So far, in two years with Richardson, their hope has been weighed in the balance. Richardson has certainly not panned out the way Indy foresaw, but he is, by no means, an NFL bust yet. His stock still needs to be evaluated and the Colts must make a crucial decision on what to do at quarterback in 2025.

What the Indianapolis Colts Should Do With Their Quarterbacks in 2025

Give Anthony Richardson the Starting Quarterback Job

Anthony Richardson has been the definition of a project quarterback. The Colts knew this when they drafted him and knew he would be a work in progress. The issue with Richardson is that, in two years, he is still a work in progress. He has shown little improvement from his rookie season, but he still has considerable upside. The Indianapolis Colts will have some tough decisions to make with this roster, but priority number one needs to be giving Richardson another shot at being the franchise quarterback.

With just 15 starts under his belt in the NFL, Richardson’s sample size is very small. He has a career completion percentage of 50.6% with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has a 13.6 pass completion average, three game-winning drives, and two fourth-quarter comebacks. Again, the signs are evident that Richardson has tremendous upside. However, his progress has been slow. The 2025 season will be a big tell-tale of whether Richardson can be the franchise quarterback that the Indianapolis Colts hope he can be.

Retain Joe Flacco as the Backup Quarterback.

One of the better off-season moves that the Indianapolis Colts made was bringing in Joe Flacco to be the backup quarterback. In Anthony Richardson’s rookie season, he only started four games before suffering a seasoning-ending injury. With his injury record and inexperience, the right decision was to bring in a veteran who could come into a game if needed and provide the team with a chance to win. Gardner Minshew was able to provide that in 2023 when he went 7-6 and almost won the AFC South. Joe Flacco has been able to provide that this season. Richardson missed 13 games in 2023 and missed 6 games this season. Thus, making the case that a reliable backup quarterback is a must for the Colts.

Flacco went 2-4 as a starter this season and provided the offense with a completely different style of play. With their pass-heavy plays, Flacco displayed the kind of traits that Richardson needs to develop. Flacco has been in the league for 17 seasons and understands anticipation throws, leading the receiver, and checking down when needed. All of these traits are some of the areas in which Richardson struggled. The more that he plays and learns from a guy like Flacco, the better that he will become. Therefore, assuming that Flacco does not retire in 2025, the Indianapolis Colts should retain him for his veteran leadership in the quarterback room.

Main Image: Grace Hollars – USA Today Sports

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