For the majority of Colts general manager Chirs Ballard’s tenure, Indianapolis has been without a consistent starting quarterback.
Ballard intended to change that by investing highly in Anthony Richardson Sr., selecting the then-20-year-old 4th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Coming out of college, Richardson was an inexperienced but uber-talented quarterback. An elite athlete with a rocket arm and dual threat capabilities, all that was missing was refining his passing mechanics and improving his accuracy.
That’s to say that Richardson appeared to be more likely to sit and learn his rookie year before being thrown in as the starter. But the Colts went the other direction, making him their opening day starter as a rookie.
“When you take (a quarterback) high, there’s an expectation,” Ballard said. “The pressure to play the kid is real.”
It’s a decision that Ballard wishes he could have back. Recently speaking to Zak Keefer of the Athletic, Ballard admits he wishes he could’ve resisted pressure to start Richardson right away.
“Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own,” Keefer writes.
“He just doesn’t know yet,” Ballard told Keefer. “He didn’t have enough experience, both from a play standpoint but also a professional standpoint of how to get ready.”
Richardson’s lack of experience showed up in 2024, as he consistently struggled to complete short passes and was eventually benched for Joe Flacco.
“He was drowning,” Ballard later admitted. “Mentally, it was going really fast for him.”
With his sophomore season now behind him, Richardson still has the faith of the organization. Ballard remains adamant that he will reach his ceiling.
“I just think eventually Anthony’s going to be who we think he can be,” Ballard said. “I still believe that. Whether that’s this year or next, I don’t know when it’s going to happen.”
Regardless of what happens, Ballard will look back on Richardson’s time in Indianapolis regretting the way he handled the early stages. In the end, there’s no way to know for sure if Richardson would’ve benefited from sitting at first, but the Colts will always wish they hadn’t thrown him into the mix so early.
