Colts GM: Richardson's biggest issue is staying healthy
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is being very clear about what the team needs from quarterback Anthony Richardson heading into next season and beyond.
"We knew when we took him it was going to be a roller coaster. ... The No. 1 thing we have to figure out and have to work through is he's got to stay healthy," Ballard told reporters Friday, including The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "That, to me, is the biggest question."
He added: "We have to have competition at the position ... because competition makes you better, and because he's not proven he can stay healthy for 17 games."
Richardson missed six starts in 2024, partly due to injury, after season-ending shoulder surgery limited him to just four games in his rookie campaign. Joe Flacco started in Richardson's place this year, including in the Week 17 loss to the New York Giants that eliminated Indianapolis from playoff contention. The Colts finished 8-9 this season.
Richardson was benched for two weeks in November as head coach Shane Steichen said his preparation needed to be at "a higher standard." However, Ballard feels Richardson needed an even longer reset.
"He was drowning," Ballard said Friday, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer. "I didn't feel the same poise (he had shown previously). Mentally, it was really going really fast for him."
Richardson passed for 1,814 yards with eight passing touchdowns against 12 interceptions this season while completing just 47.7% of his passes. He ranked 31st in EPA/play out of 34 quarterbacks who played at least 300 snaps, according to Ben Baldwin's database.
However, the 22-year-old was effective as a runner, particularly in the red zone. He ran for 499 yards with six rushing touchdowns.
It was reported earlier this season that the Colts weren't willing to trade Richardson before the deadline and still viewed him as their 2025 starting quarterback. Indianapolis selected Richardson fourth overall in 2023.
In addition to wanting more quarterback competition, Ballard acknowledged that keeping the Colts' core together for the 2024 season didn't work.
"Right now, we're not close," he said, per Holder. "I want to make that clear. Being close is losing on the last play of the Super Bowl. Going 8-9 is not close."