The Indianapolis Colts will be put to the test right out of the gate in the 2026 NFL season. Despite not having the toughest schedule in the league, Shane Steichen's team will face some major challenges in the first month of the season.
To make things more concerning, there's still no official word on whether Daniel Jones will be on the field for Week 1. While there's a chance that he can suit up for the season opener, an early-October return looks more realistic.
As such, Anthony Richardson might have the first month of the season to prove that he's worth another chance. He has to beat Riley Leonard for the backup spot first, although his reward might be pretty brutal.
The Indianapolis Colts' tough schedule might put Anthony Richardson to the test
The Colts will begin the season with a home game against the Baltimore Ravens, followed by a road matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs and another home game against the Houston Texans. Then, they'll host the Washington Commanders in London.
That means they will host a revamped Ravens defense with Trey Hendrickson and coach Jesse Minter calling the shots, followed by Steve Spagnuolo's Super Bowl-winning defense, and then the hardest-hitting defensive unit in the league in a game with major divisional implications.
Even taking the overseas game out of the equation, that three-game stretch could be absolutely brutal for the Colts. As such, having Richardson give them anything and showing that he might have what it takes to be an NFL player might be the only way to save his career.
The Colts didn't pick up his fifth-year option and signed Jones to a two-year deal, so, while possible, it's hard to believe they would consider sticking with him and benching Jones even if he won all three games. That said, at the very least, he would make that a conversation or, even better for him, might convince another team to roll the dice on him and pursue him in a trade or free agency.
The whole Richardson experience has been pretty brutal so far. Freak injuries, the infamous tap-out, and being the least accurate quarterback in the game have put him in historical bust territory. Still, he will just turn 24, and he may have the most impressive physical tools of any quarterback in the league right now -- maybe even in the last two decades.
Richardson is probably still worth the gamble, and he must realize that this might be his final chance to prove that. Even if it doesn't work out with the Colts, he can pay back the confidence with a strong three-game stretch and save his career from purgatory. That's, of course, assuming he even wins the QB2 job.
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