The numbers are very much against Anthony Richardson taking the superstar leap in his third NFL season, which the Indianapolis Colts are fully banking on in 2025. However, the same hot topics were pressed into overdrive for Josh Allen, who struggled with accuracy until a meteoric jump in 2020.
Anthony Richardson To Work on Mechanics This Offseason
According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Richardson has made the effort to work on his throwing mechanics with someone who’s familiar with Allen. Chris Hess, who helped Allen raise his accuracy by 10+ percentage points, will work to deliver hopefully the same magic for Richardson’s long-term outlook.
During his first two seasons in the NFL, Richardson has dealt with a litany of issues related to his on-field performance. Not only was Richardson benched midseason for veteran journeyman Joe Flacco, reportedly due to not taking his craft as seriously as he should, but he’s been unable to stay healthy consistently.
Richardson has only played 100% of the Colts’ snaps in 10 of a possible 34 games. That’s simply unsustainable to build an offense around before even accounting for Richardson’s historic accuracy concerns. Colts general manager Chris Ballard admitted as such at season’s end, even referencing how they will now be forced to bring in legitimate competition for Richardson this offseason.
The injury red flag is real, but the accuracy woes are a historical barometer. Indianapolis and Richardson are hoping to buck the trend similar to Allen with Buffalo.
Incredibly, Richardson’s career completion percentage sits at 50.6%. That’s the worst mark for any recent starting quarterback to log 10+ games since Tim Tebow with the Denver Broncos, who cut ties after only two seasons.
Sure, Richardson has the incredible physical features any NFL front office would salivate over. He’s 6’4”, weighs close to 260 pounds, and is capable of outrunning every player on the field. Add in the fact he has arguably the strongest arm among starters and the foundation is there for Richardson to be a superstar.
Right now, that star is fleeting, but can Richardson and the Colts revive that hope for 2025 and beyond? Richardson is taking the correct steps to hopefully buck the current trend by finding the most recent historic outlier in Allen.
Through two seasons, the head-to-head comparison between Richardson and Allen is notable:
- Richardson (2023-24): 159.4 passing yards per game, 11 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 50.6% completion rate
- Allen (2018-19): 184.4 passing yards per game, 30 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and a 55.8% completion rate
The Colts are banking on Richardson finally figuring it all out in his third season, just like Allen did to help Buffalo become the juggernaut in the AFC they are now. And for the Colts, jobs all across the board depend on Richardson’s light flipping on for good before it’s too late.
