Anthony Richardson has been medically cleared and the talk is how fans could see him on the field again this season for the Indianapolis Colts. That was something that was in doubt after suffering an orbital fracture, but the facts are that he could be on the sidelines very soon, emphasis on sidelines. Once again, all of this is in doubt as we approach the end of the season, but the Colts brought Philip Rivers in for a reason and to pull the rug out from under him after one or two games would be the ultimate slap in the face to the veteran and potential hall of famer. Fans can chat about it, but to see him replaced by Richardson would be NFL malpractice.
The Colts convinced a 44-year old, five year retired grandpa, to get off his couch and back into the NFL. That is some next level stuff. Rivers came in and looked exactly as described. To be fair, he was going up against a solid defense on the road in a tough environment and still had his team in the lead with under a minute to go in the game. It wasn’t perfect, but it certainly wasn’t the disaster it could have been. Rivers brought his high level acumen, professionalism, and experience with him, and it almost led to one of the more improbable wins in league history. Healthy or not, Richardson won’t be replacing him this year barring an injury or Rivers asking to step away.
For anyone clamoring for Richardson, is your memory that short? I was in favor of Richardson getting the starting job over Daniel Jones. It looks incorrect now, but at the time, the thinking was to let Richardson go all out, preferably over an entire season, and see what you really have. Maybe there is something that can be unlocked, and maybe it is time to cut bait. Either way, you would have answers. Whether he was named the starter or not in 2025, his body of work speaks for itself: abysmal passing percentages, overthrown balls on short/intermediate routes, and an inability to stay on the field. I am not holding this against him, but even this year, he missed the majority of the season due to an injury sustained during pregame warmups. He has faced astonishingly bad luck. That doesn’t bode well for a team who wants him to play for an entire season.
Bringing Anthony Richardson back as the starter would accomplish nothing. Well, not nothing. It would create an absolute firestorm if it wasn’t first the idea of Philip Rivers and would make the Colts look like total fools. You don’t do that to someone, especially not of Rivers’ caliber and under these circumstances. If the Colts want another crack at evaluating Richardson, they will get it. There is a whole offseason to work through and the timetable for Daniel Jones is unclear. This could be Richardson’s shot at redemption. I am here for it; just not in 2025.
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