Colts' Anthony Richardson: Will face competition in 2025
Rotowire
Speaking with the media Friday, Colts GM Chris Ballard said Richardson (back) will face competition at the quarterback position next season, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
"We knew when we took him it was going to be a roller coaster," Ballard said of Richardson. "The number one thing we have to figure out and have to work through is he's got to stay healthy. That, to me, is the biggest question. 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." Joe Flacco was signed to be Richardson's backup last offseason, but his one-year deal is set to expire in March, and at 40 years old (next week) he's not realistic competition. The Colts hold the No. 14 overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, and the roster has needs all over. Whichever way Ballard tries to find that quarterback competition, it's become clear that Richardson's leash is tightening in Indianapolis after he's started just 15 of a possible 34 games across his first two seasons.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Ruled out for Sunday
Rotowire
Head coach Shane Steichen noted Friday that Richardson (back) has been ruled out for Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars.
Per James Boyd of The Athletic, Steichen also relayed that veteran QB Joe Flacco will start in place of Richardson on Sunday. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thus finishes his second season as a pro having completed 126 of his 264 pass attempts for 1,814 yards with eight TDs and 12 picks to go along with 86 carries for 499 yards and six rushing scores in 11 games. Now that he's been deemed out for Week 18, Richardson will turn his focus to moving past his back issue and approaching the 2025 campaign healthy.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Still not practicing
Rotowire
Richardson (back) remained sidelined at practice Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Richardson also was listed as a non-participant Wednesday and Thursday, so it doesn't seem likely he'll be available for Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars. If that's the case, Joe Flacco would be in line to start at QB for the Colts for the second straight game.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Still not practicing
Rotowire
Richardson (back) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Richardson was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, so the QB's absence from Thursday's session puts the focus on what he's able to do Friday in terms of his availability for Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars. If Richardson is unavailable versus Jacksonville, Joe Flacco presumably would draw the Week 18 start for the 7-9 Colts.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Feeling better, could play Sunday
Rotowire
Richardson (back) was listed as a non-participant after Wednesday's walk-through practice, but Colts head coach Shane Steichen hopes the quarterback can play Sunday against Jacksonville, Amanda Foster of the team's official site reports.
Richardson revealed Wednesday that he was barely able to walk last Tuesday because the pain from a disc issue in his back was so bad. He said he's feeling "way better" this week and will try to play in the season finale, hoping to finish out a disappointing campaign with a strong individual performance and a Colts win. Richardson also revealed that he's dealt with back spasms since eighth grade and has issues that "might be chronic," but won't necessarily require surgery, per James Boyd of The Athletic. None of this is good news for his long-term outlook, nor for his Week 18 rushing projection if he plays.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Could play Sunday
Rotowire
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday that he's hopeful Richardson (back) will be available for Sunday's season finale against the Jaguars, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Back issues prevented Richardson from playing in Week 17, but the quarterback could return to action this weekend depending on how he fares in practice over the next three days. With the Colts holding a walk-through session Wednesday, what Richardson is able to do during Thursday's session will provide a better indication of which direction he's trending in for Sunday's contest. For his part, Richardson -- who dislocated that he's dealing with a disc issue -- said Wednesday that he's feeling much better this week compared to last, per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Will start Sunday if healthy
Rotowire
Richardson is continuing to get treatment on his back spasms and will start Week 18 versus Jacksonville if he's healthy, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
Richardson also has been dealing with a foot injury, but head coach Shane Steichen indicated last week that the back problem -- which he clarified to be back spasms Monday -- was the bigger issue. Steichen did indicate Monday that Richardson is feeling better, so there's a legitimate chance the rookie QB could return to a starting role Sunday. If Richardson can't play, Joe Flacco -- who threw for 330 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions Sunday in a loss to the Giants -- would likely start behind center again.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Ruled out for Sunday
Rotowire
Richardson (back/foot) has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Giants.
After failing to practice in any fashion Wednesday through Friday, Richardson had taken a questionable tag into the weekend, but the Colts ultimately weren't confident enough in his ability to play through the pair of injuries. Joe Flacco will draw the Week 17 start in place of Richardson, whose injuries aren't viewed as serious enough to prevent him from playing in the Colts' regular-season finale versus the Jaguars next weekend, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Questionable after three DNPs
Rotowire
Richardson (back/foot) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants, Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports reports.
Richardson didn't practice in any capacity throughout the week, but head coach Shane Steichen isn't ready to rule out the starting quarterback for a game the 7-8 Colts have to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Steichen said Richardson's back is bothering the quarterback more than his foot and that the next 48 hours will be pivotal in determining Richardson's availability. If Richardson's ruled out prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. EST kickoff, Joe Flacco would make his fifth start of the season.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Doesn't appear to be practicing Friday
Rotowire
Richardson (back/foot) didn't appear to be participating in Friday's practice, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN.com and Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis.
Richardson was listed as a non-participant on practice reports Wednesday and Thursday and could be headed for another DNP on Friday. If Richardson is unavailable for Sunday's game against the Giants, veteran signal-caller Joe Flacco would be in line to start in his place.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Optimism regarding Week 17 status
Rotowire
The Colts are reportedly optimistic about Richardson (back/foot) playing Sunday against the Giants, per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com.
Per the report, Richardson has made consistent progress and is responding to treatment, but the QB's performance in Friday's practice will be critical in determining his Week 17 status. After being deemed a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimate, Richardson didn't participate in practice Thursday, which led to Joe Flacco taking first-team signal-caller reps in his place, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Opens week as a non-participant
Rotowire
Richardson was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimate due to back and foot injuries.
The Colts didn't hold an actual practice Wednesday, but Richardson's inclusion on the team's initial injury report makes his status worth tracking as Sunday's game against the Giants approaches. The quarterback has two more chances to upgrade to full participation before the team assigns Week 17 game designations.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: QBs to Start
Rotowire
Richardson once again used his legs to have a solid Fantasy outing in Week 16 against Tennessee, and he should do something similar in Week 17 at the Giants. Against the Titans, Richardson ran for 70 yards and a touchdown, which is the fifth time in his past five games that he's scored at least 6.1 Fantasy points with his rushing totals alone. He has five rushing touchdowns over that span as well, and he should be able to run through the Giants defense. Now, he was only 7-of-11 passing for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against the Titans, but he scored 22.2 Fantasy points. And he's hit at least that mark in three of his past five games, which is why I like him as a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 17.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Only 11 pass attempts in win
Rotowire
Richardson completed seven of 11 passes for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception and added nine carries for 70 yards and another score in the Colts' 38-30 win over the Titans on Sunday.
The erratic second-year signal-caller wasn't asked to do much Sunday, with Jonathan Taylor shouldering the bulk of the load on offense via a 218-yard, three-touchdown performance. However, Richardson managed to make good use of his sparse opportunities as a passer, connecting with Josh Downs for his one touchdown pass and averaging 11.9 yards per attempt. Richardson also provided his usual standout production on the ground, setting a new career high in rushing yardage and scoring his sixth rushing TD of the campaign on a five-yard run early in the second quarter. Richardson's passing production is going to remain volatile from game to game, but he'll have another favorable matchup in a Week 17 road clash with the Giants.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Rushing TD, two picks in loss
Rotowire
Richardson completed 17 of 38 passes for 172 yards with two interceptions while rushing seven times for 46 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-13 loss to the Broncos.
Richardson scored a 23-yard rushing touchdown on the opening drive, marking his fourth rushing score in the past four games. He hasn't been nearly as successful with his arm as his with his legs, and Richardson's accuracy issues unsurprisingly resurfaced against the tough Broncos secondary. He completed just 44.7 percent of his passes and was intercepted twice, dropping his TD:INT as a passer to 7:11. Richardson's rushing ability should keep him fantasy-relevant in Week 16 against the Titans, but he'll have a low floor due to his struggles through the air.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Sleeper QBs
Rotowire
Richardson got great news Wednesday with Josh Downs (shoulder) returning to practice, and hopefully he's ready to play coming off the Week 14 bye. The Broncos also could still be without cornerback Riley Moss (knee), and his absence was huge in Week 13 against Cleveland when Jameis Winston had 497 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Richardson has scored at least 25.2 Fantasy points in two of his past three games, and he has scored at least 6.1 Fantasy points with his legs in three outings in a row, with three rushing touchdowns. I'm going to trust Richardson as a low-end No. 1 quarterback in Week 15.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Plays hero in New England
Rotowire
Richardson completed 12 of 24 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions in Sunday's 25-24 win over the Patriots. He added 48 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, and also ran in a two-point conversion.
That two-point conversion came with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, after Richardson had led a five-minute scoring drive that he capped with a three-yard TD pass to Alec Pierce on fourth down. A poor completion rate is simply part of the package with the second-year QB at this stage of his development, but there's no denying Richardson's athletic upside, and since reclaiming the starting job for the Colts he's produced six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) in three games. The Colts are on bye in Week 14, giving Richardson time to recharge ahead of the team's final push for the playoffs.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Struggles with accuracy Sunday
Rotowire
Richardson completed 11 of 28 pass attempts for 172 yards, no touchdowns and no turnovers while rushing 10 times for 61 yards in Sunday's 24-6 loss to Detroit.
Richardson failed to complete 50 percent of his pass attempts for the fourth time this season. The only other game in which the sophomore had a worst completion rate was when he infamously removed himself from a contest against the Texans in Week 8. Richardson showed some life after being reinstated as starter with three total touchdowns against the Jets last week, but that was also against the Jets. Perhaps the young quarterback can get back on track against a three-win Patriots team next Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Week 12 Waiver Priority List
Rotowire
I thought Richardson had the chance to play well in his return to action following a two-game benching in Week 11 at the Jets, and he was fantastic with 30.1 Fantasy points. He completed 20-of-30 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown, and he added 32 rushing yards and two touchdowns. That was an easy matchup, but things get tougher in Week 12 against Detroit since the Lions are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. That said, he gets New England in Week 13 before a bye in Week 14, and he closes the Fantasy playoffs with Tennessee in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17 (he faces Denver in Week 15). I'm hopeful Richardson can finish the season strong, and he's worth adding in all leagues for at least 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
... See More... See Less
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Reclaims starting role
Rotowire
Head coach Shane Steichen announced Wednesday that Richardson will serve as the Colts' starting quarterback, beginning with Sunday's game against the Jets, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
The Colts turned to Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback for the past two games, but after losing both contests while Flacco turned the ball over six times, the team will hand the keys to the offense back over to Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Though Richardson's struggles in the passing game led to the prior change, the 22-year-old carries enough upside a rusher to merit fantasy lineup consideration, especially with four teams on bye in Week 11. Steichen cited the strides the young quarterback has made over the last couple of weeks in terms of attention to detail led to the decision to reinstall him as starter, according to James Boyd of The Athletic.
