The Indianapolis Colts had to make a play out of left field to help compete to make the playoffs following the injuries to the quarterback room.
Indy brought Philip Rivers to be the guy who would be behind the center and help the team make a playoff push. The Colts are currently in the hunt for a wildcard spot and having veteran leadership can benefit the team on the road to the playoffs.
In Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, Rivers did what he was asked of since retiring five years ago. He threw for 120 yards and a touchdown pass on 18 completions, but the majority of his passes came from 10 yards or less.
Rivers has been named the starting quarterback in the Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers and appears to be the starter for the remainder of the season, barring any injuries.
Adding the Charger legend was also going to be a temporary plan for the Colts, but adding him may have sealed the fate of one of Indy’s QBs.
End Of The Road For Former First-Round Pick?
GettyQuarterback Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts.
Entering the 2025 season, Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones were in a training camp competition to see who would be the starting quarterback. In the end, Jones won the contest, leading Richardson to be on the bench for the third time in his three-year career.
Richardson was the primary backup for Jones before suffering a fractured orbital bone in a pregame that forced him to go on injured reserve after Week 6.
Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Week 15, with rookie Riley Leonard filling in for the quarterback. If Richardson were still healthy when Jones went down, it would have likely been his last attempt to show the Colts staff that he could be a starting quarterback, but he will now have to watch Rivers be behind the center.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler states that Indy will move forward with Rivers as the starter, leading Richardson out of the team and will remain on IR for the time being.
“The Colts know that Anthony Richardson Sr. had a prime opportunity taken away by an eye injury. He could have used this past month as a career springboard by potentially guiding Indy into the playoffs,” Fowler wrote.
“Maybe Richardson can find his way into the lineup over the final week or two. But Steichen sounds like a coach ready to ride this out with Rivers, for better or worse.”
In his time in Indianapolis, Richardson has thrown for 1,300 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
What’s Next For Anthony Richardson?
GettyAnthony Richardson may be on his way out of Indianapolis
Daniel Jones was able to help lead the Indianapolis Colts to 8 wins in the 2025 season before going down with his injury. The QB was on track to have his best career season in almost every single passing statistic, but will now have to wait to break them.
Jones is on a one-year deal with the team and was well on his way to earning a nice-paying contract. He had proved that he can still play in the NFL and be a franchise quarterback. The former Duke Blue Devil may not be ready for the start of the 2026 season, but it appears the Colts would like to have him back after his start.
Anthony Richardson is still recovering from his injury and could be an option at the start of the season, but nothing is set in stone.
Indianapolis could use Riley Leonard as the starter for the first few weeks of the new season. But Richardson’s time with the franchise is almost at its end.
Richardson is still just 23 years old and with the right coaching (that benefits his playing style), he could excel in a new scenery.
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