How does Anthony Richardson’s supporting cast with Colts compare to the rest of NFL?

As Anthony Richardson prepares for his first season with the Indianapolis Colts, how good will his offensive supporting cast be?

Oftentimes in football, quarterbacks get all the praise and headlines. However, QBs can accomplish nothing alone. Alongside every great quarterback is a tremendous supporting cast. In order for a quarterback to really excel, the team needs some dangerous weapons and a quality offensive line. The combination of those two things generally help quarterbacks excel.

The Indianapolis Colts currently have a promising young quarterback that everyone is hoping excels. After being drafted fourth-overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson is hoping to get the Week 1 starting job for the Colts. Whether he starts in Week 1 or not, he’ll eventually be the team’s QB1, and everyone will be intrigued to see how he performs.

His performance will be largely impacted by his supporting cast, Indy’s other offensive players. The question is, how good is that supporting cast? ESPN’s Bill Barnwell answered that question in a recent piece where he ranked all 32 supporting casts. In Barnwell’s rankings, the Colts were listed at No. 25.

Colts supporting cast ranked 25th by ESPN

For this ranking, Barnwell was only evaluating running backs, wide rereceivers, and tight ends, so Indy’s struggling offensive line didn’t factor into the equation. Still, the Colts were ranked at No. 25. Barnwell explained that if running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. can “return to their 2021 form, things will be fine in Indianapolis.”

Even if that happens, Barnwell made clear that the rest of the weapons are unproven. Highlighting the promise of guys like Alec Pierce, Ashton Dulin, Jelani Woods, and Josh Downs, Barnwell acknowledged there’s a chance Indy’s offense could be better, but he wasn’t ready to make any guarantees.

That’s a fair stance to take. Jonathan Taylor is the only established star, and Pittman has been pretty consistent, but he and all of the young guys have to be even more productive and continue proving themselves on the field. With the talent that guys have, Indy’s offense could eventually be dangerous with the weapons it has.

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