Is Anthony Richardson One of the Biggest QB Busts in NFL History?

On Friday, it was announced that the Indianapolis Colts would not be picking up the fifth-year option on quarterback Anthony Richardson.

If Richardson had been taken in the sixth, fifth, or maybe even third round, this could be brushed aside as a franchise taking a shot at a raw project that didn’t work out in the end.

Richardson was selected fourth in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Not the fourth round. Not the fourth QB. The fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft is a position where you are risking your organization’s entire reputation.

And for the Colts, it was the ultimate gamble. With the likes of Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson emerging as the league’s faces at quarterback, they saw Richardson’s physical traits and couldn’t pass him by.

He had a cannon for an arm, could truck over defenders, and, if he reached his potential ceiling, could continue the great lineage of Colts QBs like Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck before him.

Richardson never hit his ceiling. He didn’t even reach the table in the room where the ceiling was located.

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The former Florida Gators QB never evolved, stagnating as what he was in Gainesville: an athletic spectacle but not a professional passer of the ball.

He only completed 53% passes in his third and final year as a Gator. The Colts knew what they were getting when they picked him at four, and they hoped their development system would help him break through.

Although there were glimpses of Richardson throwing balls down the field with a flick of the wrist, giving you pause that he might be turning the corner, an unforced error would bring you back down to Earth the very next throw. Along with injuries hampering him, Richardson didn’t even reach his floor as a Colt.

While the 23-year-old is still extremely young and can still shake off the “bust” label that is now attached to him, it’s going to be an uphill climb to find his place in the NFL.

Unathletic, consistent passers can have long tenures in the NFL as backups.

Athletic, erratic passers of the football? They can make great careers — in the UFL or CFL.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 8:19 PM.