Anthony Richardson never wanted to be, but he might have been one of the tentpoles that led to the Indianapolis Colts needing to fire Chris Ballard. It was the general manager who wanted to take Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, and that obviously didn't work out.
Ballard never proved he knew how to pick good quarterbacks. Richardson hasn't become one. Because of that, the QB clearly doesn't feel good about the situation.
Speaking at his locker with reporters on Wednesday, Richardson said, "I always appreciate any support I get, especially from a guy like (Ballard), his position that he had on this team. He believed in me enough to have me here. I’m forever grateful for that. I’m trying to do my part and not make him feel like he made the wrong decision with me being here."
Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson delivers honest answer about Chris Ballard
Ballard did make the wrong decision by choosing Richardson, and there is no argument against that. Obviously, that doesn't mean either human being is a bad person, but football is football. Richardson hasn't worked out well, and Ballard took a chance on him that he shouldn't have.
The quarterback also won't likely have a chance in Indianapolis to show he was worthy of being chosen so highly. Head coach Shane Steichen isn't going to switch from Daniel Jones as QB1, even though Jones has struggled greatly. Richardson, despite his immense physical skill, probably couldn't do any better.
Taking a quarterback in the first round and expecting them to turn into the long-term starter for a franchise sets the organization back for years if the quarterback doesn't play well. The team, as Indy did, has to give a first-rounder a chance to prove he can't develop into a long-term starter, and then, when that is shown, the team has to start over and spend more years trying to find the starter.
Of course, Chris Ballard has plenty of seasons to take a good quarterback in the draft between the time Andrew Luck suddenly retired in 2019 and when Anthony Richardson was taken in 2023. Richardson wasn't Ballard's first mistake, and wasn't his last. The team had 14 different starting quarterbacks in Ballard's tenure.
Richardson is a good human being, and he deserves good things to happen to him, but he might not ever be an accurate enough passer of the ball or a good enough on-field decision-maker to be a good NFL quarterback. If he is, that won't happen with the Colts.
In fact, the franchise could face a very realistic situation in 2027 when neither Richardson nor Daniel Jones is with the team any longer. By Week 1 of 2027, the Indianapolis Colts could be starting yet another quarterback and hope that the player is the long-term answer.
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