When it comes to the Indianapolis Colts, the number one question is what to do with quarterback Anthony Richardson. While, for the time being, Richardson is still QB1, though the Colts have openly said they are seeking quarterbacks to compete with him.
There has been a lot of criticism leveled at Richardson - some fair, and some... not as fair. Some have already been labeling him a bust, but one major analyst says the problem with Richardson isn't actually on him: it's on the Colts.
On the latest episode of "Around the Horn," Kevin Clark argued that the Colts have bungled Richardson's career so badly, it may be too late for any possible repair.
"[The Colts] have bungled this situation and right now I'm afraid it's beyond repair," says @bykevinclark on Anthony Richardson and a QB competition in Indy. pic.twitter.com/RKvy3glLMT
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) February 26, 2025
"You took one of the most athletic quarterbacks we've ever seen at the Combine, you let him play for a month, he gets hurt, you let him play for another month, when he gets healthy, you bench him for Joe Flacco, who - by the way - was supposed to steady the ship, he steadied nothing, and then all of a sudden, you say, oh, we're going to bring in another guy," he said. "You have to give someone like Anthony Richardson a long runway to develop. They haven't done that. All of a sudden Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen are trying to save their jobs, they're trying to get a veteran in right now; for me, that would be somebody like a Justin Fields if I had to choose, but I just think that this is the wrong situation from the get-go."
While Clark had some good suggestions for quarterbacks to pursue, ultimately, he said the tragedy here is the horrific treatment of Richardson by the Colts.
"Anthony Richardson was failed," he concluded. "That doesn't mean he's a great quarterback, but he was failed in this situation. The whole thing is a football tragedy, the whole thing is football malpractice."
This is a take that has been echoed by other analysts, including Colts alum Pat McAfee, who slammed the Colts. McAfee argued that Richardson has failed because no one in the organization has been there to teach him and lead him towards success.
"AR had no chance with this building that is happening. That is what I've realized over the last 12 hours. I'm wondering why AR's tapping out of games as quarterback. Like, how's this guy not know you can't, as a quarterback, do that? Like, call timeout. Waste of timeout. Instead of tapping your head and showcasing that whole thing. And, you know, is he getting better? Is he getting worse? Is he in shape? All those things. He's got nobody telling him how he's supposed to operate in that building. So AR had no idea how he's supposed to be a professional because there's no damn professionals in that building."