Left for dead, Anthony Richardson’s career was on life support. For all intents and purposes it seemed that his days in the NFL were numbered and completely done as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Things aren’t settled yet, but there is a legitimate chance Richardson is not only on the roster come Week 1, he could be QB2.
After Riley Leonard impressed in Week 18 against Houston and fans witnessed an offseason of Richardson and the Colts looking for a trade partner, the odds were high that he would never take another snap for the horseshoe. He still may not take an official snap for the Colts, but Richardson is doing his best to make the Colts reconsider sending him on his way. Ed Dobbs already said the Colts will most likely retain him, but being the first backup was always the goal for Richardson in 2026.
The starting role is gone, at least for now. Daniel Jones struggles to make it through a season unscathed. Enter Richardson. If he can beat out Leonard and gain that second slot, the improbable becomes reality. He isn’t there quite yet. A strong outing against the Patriots gave him signs of life. The Falcons’ game proved to be a step back, but Leonard looked no better. If Leonard continues to look less than stellar and Richardson regains his preseason game one form, he will be one injury away from potential redemption.
There are a lot of ifs in the above. A lot has to go right for Anthony Richardson and a few things have to go wrong for others. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility, though. He still needs to show he is worthy of the backup spot by putting Saturday’s game behind him and turning in quality work going forward. Then, if given a chance, he can’t botch it. This may be the last chance he gets to resurrect his career. Fail to strike when opportunity comes his way and the plug on his NFL days will be pulled.
Leave a Comment