Is Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson a draft bust?

The Colts QBs’ young career has not gone according to plan thus far. Injuries, inconsistency, and a need for development have been the hindrances to his success. Unless he rebounds soon, is the dreaded “bust” label going put on Richardson?

In 2023 when Richardson was first drafted by the Colts, nearly every analyst repeated the same talking points:

• He needs development, he is still learning proper technique and is very inexperienced
• He needs to stay healthy.
• He is a “Boom-Bust” Pick.

Colts fans were told plenty of times, Richardson would take time to grow into the savior QB the franchise desperately needed. He was not a “sure thing” and while he had many appealing traits, living up to his potential was never a guarantee.

However after injuries shortened his first two seasons to just 15 games between them and now have jeopardized his training camp availability heading into Year 3, his career is at a crossroads.

So far, for being a 4th overall draft pick, Richardson hasn’t lived up to his draft pick slot. Only 2,391 career Passing Yards and 11 Passing TDs with 13 Interceptions is certainly not the passing profile of a draft hit thus far.

Even with his 50.6% Completion being hampered by his near record setting Average Depth of Target, as well as his bad dropped throw %, and at times not having a check down target in the designed play structure, he still needs to show more consistency in delivering the ball on target to his weapons.

Richardson does have an elite rushing profile of 635 Rushing Yards and 10 Rushing TDs as well as his strong pressure to sack avoidance skills to bring up the floor of his production and give hope. But until he takes the next step as a passer he will have the dreaded bust label hovering over his head.

It still is too early to call him a bust, but the odds are not in his favor with his AC joint injury in his throwing shoulder flaring up again before the season begins. Time still will tell, but patience is a virtue that fans and new owners might not be so keen to maintain such a virtue if change doesn’t occur soon. Should he lose snaps to Daniel Jones come regular season, expect a different change to happen even sooner.