Anthony Richardson is entering his third season as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Despite his winning record as a starter, the Colts have yet to make the playoffs with Richardson as part of the team.
Heading into a crucial third season for Richardson, and head coach Shane Steichen, Indianapolis will need to do everything in its power to help spur the development of their promising young quarterback. To help with that development, some receiving help might be on the way, predicts one NFL analyst.
Indianapolis Colts Find Perfect Help for Anthony Richardson
Between Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts wide receivers are a talented group. However, a true game-changing playmaker might help an offense that finished as No. 21 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric, despite over 1,400 rushing yards from Jonathan Taylor.
The main reason for their offensive limitations was Richardson. Despite exceptional arm talent and speed, he finished as the 37th-ranked quarterback in the league, the third-worst mark among all eligible players, per PFSN’s QB+ metric.
However, Kyle Soppe of PFSN doesn’t believe it’s appropriate to label the 22-year-old a bust. Soppe’s belief boils down to one simple statistic: Richardson averages 5.5 yards per pass when throwing left of the slots, the third-worst mark in the league since 2023.
In the same timeframe, all other throws account for 8.1 yards, the 13th-best mark in the league. As Soppe explains, “Richardson is not a perfect quarterback and has a glaring flaw in terms of decision making — if a move is made to solidify that position on the field, it gives him the potential to access his other tools.”
Another tool could arrive in the form of a star in the wide receiver room. With the likes of Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk on the trade market, and Amari Cooper entering free agency as the 31st-ranked free agent on PFSN’s 2025 top 100 free agents list, there are a few names Indianapolis can target.
Soppe said in his bold predictions for every NFL team next season, that these receivers are, “Nice YAC threats to complement the downfield abilities of the players already on this roster and Richardson might not be as far away from quarterbacking an above-average offense as it seems.”
Soppe had one final stat that might sway fans still doubting the young quarterback’s potential.
“Lamar Jackson was thought to be the MVP, Jared Goff was an MVP finalist, and Sam Darnold was on the list for most surprising QBs in the league – they were all top-5 in yards per play-action attempt a season ago.”
As for Richardson? “Richardson ranked 12th (just behind Josh Allen and ahead of Joe Burrow) in that regard and should continue to thrive in those spots with an elite run game behind him and, in this scenario, a receiver core that can match up with almost any.”
