To many, the story of Anthony Richardson has already been written. He will go down as a first-round bust for the Indianapolis Colts. He was often injured, and while he was an excellent athlete, he wasn't good enough as a pure passer to ever be a consistently good NFL quarterback. Shannon Sharpe would probably agree with that synopsis.
The issue is multifold. One is that Sharpe was once a very good player who now has a career espousing opinions as loudly as possible. Whether he is right or wrong makes no difference because it is what he thinks that allows him to get paid. Facts are a different matter.
The easy part to forget is that Richardson is still only 23 years old, and probably came into the league far too early. He still has time to grow his game and be a decent quarterback.
Shannon Sharpe goes too far in criticism of Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson
That might not happen with the Colts, though. He has one year left on his rookie deal, and the team is seemingly unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option. In other words, he could be spending his final year with Indy in 2025.
If one believes Sharpe on his Nightcap Show podcast, the organization has already given up on Richardson, mostly stemming from an incident when he asked out of a game because he was tired. Colts fans all saw the quarterback tap out, and he shouldn't have, but does one moment define a career?
"I think they’re so over him. You quit on your team. You tap yourself out,” Sharpe said. “I've never ever seen or heard of a quarterback tapping himself and coming out, and then he said he was tired...(The Colts) did him a disservice. They said he was a project even they took him knowing this, and they started him. Anthony Richardson, bro, you got to make a decision, man. You got to make a decision. You're the fourth pick in the entire draft. You're immensely talented, but talent won't cut it. This is a prove-it league."
Sharpe's words are a lot to unpack. What he isn't clear about, though, is whether the quarterback's lack of success so far is his fault or the Colts'. The pundit seems to state that Richardson lacks the self-awareness to be good, but then says Indy started him too soon into his career.
That last part is almost certainly true. Indianapolis shouldn't have made AR5 a starter before he was completely ready, but the NFL has a recent history of starting rookie QBs nearly immediately. If Richardson had been drafted 30 years ago, he might have had a better chance at early success.
The other part is unfair. Sharpe basically calls Anthony Richardson a quitter. The Indianapolis Colts QB did ask out of a game when he shouldn't have, but he didn't do that every game. He also never held out of camp or was a bad person to have in the locker room. He might also be Indy's Week 1 starter in 2026, so let's hope he is ready to finally lead his team in the right way.