PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Indianapolis Colts knew what they were getting into when they drafted one of the most inexperienced quarterbacks ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
The development of Anthony Richardson, who started only 13 games at Florida, was always going to be a process. And the Colts weren't hiding from that fact.
"Let's not crown him yet," general manager Chris Ballard said the day Richardson was drafted in 2023. "He's a young player, he's got work to do, but we like his talent. We like what he can be. What I can tell you is we drafted him for what we think he can really be in the future."
Twenty-four months and 17 starts later, the Colts' tone has changed.
Ballard, speaking this week at the NFL's annual meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, explained how the team's thinking on Richardson has evolved as he has struggled with consistency and injuries during his first two seasons, missing 17 games and completing 50.6% of his passes.
Patience is no longer the operative word.
The Colts signed veteran free agent Daniel Jones to a substantial one-year, $14 million contract to compete with Richardson, signaling that the Colts are no longer content to just wait for Richardson to take the next step. Richardson and Jones will compete in training camp for the right to be the regular-season starter, according to Ballard and coach Shane Steichen.
"We've got to get the consistency," Ballard said of Richardson. "I think sometimes competition is a good thing. Over time, it's been proven that to get better, what's the best way to do it? Well, you have to be able to press yourself each and every day for high performance. And you do that by having as many good players as you can at that position."
What's also evolved is the Colts' emphasis on developing Richardson, who is more than six weeks shy of his 23rd birthday on May 22. With Ballard and Steichen under pressure to win after the Colts' fourth straight season without a playoff appearance, the priority is winning by any means necessary.
The prospect of the more conservative Jones winning the quarterback battle might bring a bit more consistency in the short term -- even if it means fewer big plays compared with the boom-or-bust Richardson.
But there's a long-term consequence at play there, too. It would also mean the Colts have no obvious starting quarterback beyond 2025, creating the potential for their years-long quarterback quandary to continue. Richardson was the first Colts quarterback to start back-to-back season openers (2023-24) since Andrew Luck in 2015-16.
"I think the best scenario is that we win football games," Ballard said. "That's the best scenario: No matter who the starting quarterback is, we win football games. To me, that's what it comes down to. You figure all the rest of it out as you go along. Would it be nice that we knew we had an established starter for the next 10 years? Damn right. I mean, I think you all know my answer there. I've never once flinched from the answer there. Yes, it would."
There's a bit of a dilemma for the Colts in all of this: They still see reminders of the reasons why they drafted Richardson. Ballard this week lauded his performance after his brief midseason benching, specifically noting the player's performance in a win over the New York Jets and a clutch, game-sealing first-down throw against the Tennessee Titans.
"Anthony's shown some signs," Steichen said. "Some really good things."
Ballard noted Richardson's confidence in those moments as a key factor in his success. He added that Richardson's technique is inconsistent, like many young quarterbacks, and offered a reminder that even Luck got back to working on his technique before his final season, in 2018. It was no coincidence Luck -- a career 60.8% passer -- went on to complete a career-high 67.3% of his attempts that season.
Confidence and technique are things that tend to grow with more experience. And, yet, Richardson will get less of that this offseason.
Steichen said Richardson and Jones will split the starter's practice reps beginning in spring workouts, reducing the number of opportunities Richardson will get.
"He's going to have to take advantage of the reps that he gets," Steichen said.
The Colts have gone from preaching patience with Richardson to trying to speed up his timeline. What happens next will likely determine where his career goes from here.