Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. will be with the team for the foreseeable future. After trade speculation swirled throughout the offseason, general manager Chris Ballard officially stated, “He is going to be an Indianapolis Colt this year”, in his press conference on Tuesday.
“He’ll be an Indianapolis Colt… this year.”
Ballard also noted how much Richardson has impressed him with his development.
“We forget how young he is sometimes”, Ballard said about the 24-year-old Richardson.
“Really proud of his growth. There were two times in camp where I thought, OK, he’s starting to really show some poise. So the two-minute against New England, we’re backed up, I think it was 38 seconds left on the clock. Gets us in field-goal range to give us a chance to get points. And then during the Atlanta scrimmage, he had a tremendous two-minute [drive] also. So, it’s been fun to watch Anthony’s growth.”
Anthony Richardson Showed Improvement This Preseason
Richardson’s preseason performance was a mixed bag, but mostly positive.
While not perfect, Richardson showed significant improvement in his ability to take and make the easy play. The career conundrum he has faced during his Colts tenure is his below-average completion percentage.
Richardson’s career completion rate is at 50.6. In the first week of preseason, he posted a 78.6% completion rate against the New England Patriots. Then it dropped to 33.3% against the Atlanta Falcons the following week. And then Richardson finished his 2026 preseason on a high with a 70.0% completion rate against the Detroit Lions.
Inconsistency has come to be expected with Richardson, but many were left optimistic about his progression.
Perhaps the best and worst thing about Richardson as a player is that the potential is always visible; it just frustratingly always feels slightly out of reach.
Anthony Richardson Described As A ‘Phenomenal Teammate’ By Ballard
However, beyond his play on the field, Ballard took the time to praise Richardson’s performance off it.
“He’s a phenomenal teammate — and I don’t use that word lightly,” Ballard said. “Like, he is a great teammate. He likes to be around the team. He likes being part of the team. There’s never been a point — even going back into last year when he didn’t win the job — there’s not been one point where I’ve seen him hang his head and get salty. He’s a phenomenal teammate.”
There is much to be said about ignorance and youth with Richardson when it comes to his experience; however, his character has never been in question.
When he tapped out during the Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans back in 2024, that incident marred his reputation. Sometimes the lines get crossed between player and person. Unsurprisingly, Richardson has been an amazing person off the field because that is who he has always been. This is the same kid who stayed late to clean up after everyone at a Pre Draft breakfast because it was “the right thing to do.”
So while on the field, the fruits of his labor have not been what the team envisioned; in the locker room, he is a highly valuable commodity.
Colts Receive Definitive Answer On QB Anthony Richardson’s Future