INDIANAPOLIS — With the NFL offseason still in its earliest stages, most of the looming moves by the Indianapolis Colts remain unpredictable.
But there is clarity on at least one important issue the team needs to work through: The Colts are \going to make a move of some significance at quarterback this offseason.
General manager Chris Ballard is on record saying the team needs to add “competition” at quarterback alongside 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson, who faces a pivotal Year 3 in 2025. Richardson’s uneven performance to date (50.6% career completion rate) and his injury history naturally give the Colts pause as they look toward the future.
We can’t beat our head against the wall,” Ballard said last month. “We’ve got to have competition at the position just for the fact that, one, competition makes everybody better. And then, two, [Richardson] has not proven he can play 17 games.”
The Colts do not appear ready to give up on Richardson. In fact, Ballard stressed that there’s too much of a rush to judgment when dealing with young quarterbacks.
“We have zero patience as a league with quarterbacks,” Ballard said. “You’re seeing it throughout the league where guys fail one place and, now, all of a sudden they’re doing really well somewhere else. Every quarterback’s journey and developmental cycle is different, and I wish I had a magic wand that could wave and get them to the top of the peak right away. But that’s not realistic.”
Still, Ballard’s statements about his intentions were fairly clear: The Colts are going to do something at quarterback.
But here’s where it gets murky. What does this quarterback move look like? Who’s included in the range of options?
Proven veteran
For the purposes of this exercise, it seems prudent to eliminate options like Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings, who is likely to command a massive salary if he makes it to the open market. Even if some teams remain skeptical that he can duplicate the success he enjoyed in a breakout season in Minnesota in 2024, the tight quarterback market is likely to drive up his price.
With Richardson still in the fold and potentially still viable, look for the Colts to consider more moderately priced veterans if they go that route in addressing the need. That means the quarterback they sign will need to be open to the idea of being a starter or backup — another reason a pursuit of Darnold seems unlikely.