Anthony Richardson didn’t sound eager to pile on after Chris Ballard was fired, even if the Colts’ quarterback situation is part of the reason Indianapolis is still searching for answers.
On Wednesday at his locker, Richardson made sure to show appreciation for the former general manager who pushed for him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft.
“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.”
That pick has become one of the defining swings of Ballard’s tenure, and it’s hard to separate Richardson from the larger story. Ballard wanted the quarterback, took the chance, and it simply has not paid off. Richardson has not developed into the kind of player that decision was meant to produce.
The bigger problem for Indianapolis is that Richardson may not even get much more runway to prove otherwise. Shane Steichen is not expected to move away from Daniel Jones as the starter, even with Jones struggling badly. Richardson’s rare physical tools haven’t been enough to change that equation, and the Colts don’t appear ready to hand him the job back.
It’s the kind of miss that can keep a franchise stuck in place for years. When a team spends a first-round pick on a quarterback and that player never becomes the long-term answer, the organization eventually has to reset and start the search all over again.
And Ballard’s quarterback issues did not begin with Richardson. After Andrew Luck suddenly retired in 2019 and before Richardson went No. 4 in 2023, Ballard had multiple chances to solve the position and didn’t. By the end of his run, the Colts had used 14 different starting quarterbacks during his tenure.
Richardson is still viewed as a good person, but that hasn’t changed the football reality around him. His accuracy and decision-making remain the question marks hanging over his NFL future, and if he does become the player Indianapolis hoped for, it may not happen there.
That leaves the Colts staring at an uncomfortable possibility down the line. By Week 1 of 2027, the franchise could be on yet another quarterback, once again hoping it has finally found the long-term answer.
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