The Indianapolis Colts needed retired Philip Rivers to save the season. That might not have been the narrative that the team wanted to sell, but it's the truth. After losing starter Daniel Jones and watching as the team lost its grasp on the playoffs, Rivers needed to be very good quickly.
The problem is that he cannot throw far, and he cannot run well. That last part has been true for decades. The former will likely remain so simply because a 44-year-old naturally loses arm strength, especially if they haven't played.
But one Indianapolis quarterback who has a fantastic arm and can run like a running back is Anthony Richardson. His issue in 2025 is the same as it has been in previous seasons: He's been injured. Richardson seemingly cannot avoid injuries, even while not playing. He broke an orbital bone in pregame warmups ahead of Week 6.
Indianapolis Colts might be getting Anthony Richardson back before 2025 ends
Since then, the quarterback has been on injured reserve, unable to help a reeling team that recently lost its starting QB. That is changing. On Monday, one day after Rivers made his return against the Seattle Seahawks in a brutally close loss, Richardson has been cleared to return to practice, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.
The hope is that AR5 will be able to practice soon, and if that is the case, the Indianapolis Colts should certainly give him a chance to play, even in a limited fashion. Assuming Rivers continues to play, he lacks the physical ability to scare defenses other than how he might outthink them.
Richardson can't outthink Rivers (few quarterbacks, including Daniel Jones, ever have that ability), but he is more than able to scare defenses with his ability to throw the ball 70 yards down the field or outrun a defender for a 10-yard gain and possible first down.
Should the Colts get into 3rd-and-short (or 4th-and-short), Richardson could play behind center and pick up the needed yards the same way Daniel Jones did earlier in the season. Philip Rivers cannot do that.
Plus, while Jones' initial timeline after having surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon has him coming back in 6-8 months, that doesn't rule out that he won't be ready in Week 1 of 2026. Anthony Richardson might be the starter. He could use the reps in the final three regular season games of 2025 as a dress rehearsal for next year.