Anthony Richardson was drafted to bend the league to his will. At 6-foot-4 with a rocket arm and rare speed, the 2023 fourth overall pick looked like the kind of quarterback who could overwhelm defenses before they ever settled in.
Three seasons later, the picture is much messier. Richardson has completed 50.6% of his passes, thrown 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and appeared in 17 games. Injuries have taken a major toll, including a season-ending orbital fracture in 2025, but the bigger concern is that the Indianapolis Colts still haven’t seen steady enough quarterback play to fully trust him.
The raw talent has never been the issue. Richardson arrived in the NFL with only 13 starts at Florida, which made him one of the most intriguing physical prospects in the draft and one of the least polished. Indianapolis was betting that coaching, reps, and patience could turn the upside into something real.
That hasn’t happened. His completion rate dropped from 59.5% in four games as a rookie to 47.7% in 2024.
He can still deliver eye-popping throws and punish defenses as a runner, but the simpler parts of the job - accuracy, timing, consistency - have not come along nearly fast enough. The well-known moment when he tapped out of a game in 2024 also sparked questions about whether he was ready for the grind of being an NFL starter, even if one play shouldn’t define his entire career.
There’s no question that injuries have played a role. Development matters too. But at some point, “raw” stops sounding like a projection and starts sounding like the problem itself.
A change of scenery might still be possible, though it would not be a cure-all. In February, it was reported that the Colts and Richardson had agreed to explore a trade, but no deal is certain, and the interest around him appears far lighter than what usually follows a former top-five pick.
Any team considering Richardson would need a clear plan. That means cutting down his early reads, leaning into quick throws, using his legs in measured ways, and letting his arm strength create explosives without forcing him into the role of a finished pocket passer. He needs reps, stability, and a coach willing to build him up instead of assuming he’s already there.
At the same time, a new situation can’t be an escape hatch from the harder parts of playing quarterback. Richardson still has to sharpen his footwork, improve his accuracy, and speed up his processing.
A better system can help. It cannot do the throwing for him.
The Colts have already moved on with Daniel Jones, and Richardson’s future in Indianapolis is unsettled. He is still young enough for another team to take a flier, but the runway that comes with being a franchise quarterback is getting shorter. A former top-five pick sliding into backup territory or a reclamation role is not the same thing as being done for good, but it is a long way from the expectations that came with his selection.
Richardson’s career is also a reminder that drafting a gifted athlete only works if the team has the patience and structure to develop him properly. Maybe he eventually becomes the kind of quarterback people thought they were getting. Maybe he turns into the cautionary tale instead.
For now, the evidence points more toward the second outcome.
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What makes this intriguing is the collision of styles and expectations around two programs at very different points right now. Miami has to protect what it has built without letting the moment grow bigger than the assignment, while North Carolina gets a home stage and a coach who knows how to turn a single game into a test of discipline and execution. For the Hurricanes, the ranking brings attention, but the bigger question is whether they can keep playing like the team everyone is chasing. [Read more 🡒]