When the Indianapolis Colts drafted Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the consensus was the team was making a worthwhile gamble — one that was applauded by several talent evaluators and analysts.
“Time will tell, but I love the gamble: This is the Colts betting on Shane Steichen’s ability to develop a young quarterback,” The Athletic’s Zak Keefer wrote at the time. “Richardson is just 20 years old and has so much ahead of him.”
But fast forward two years, and not only did Richardson lose the Colts’ starting quarterback competition after just two preseason games, he was beaten out by New York Giants castoff Daniel Jones — a player who is fighting his own battle to shed his “draft bust” label.
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Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 of the Indianapolis Colts and head coach Shane Steichen stand for the national anthem prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August…
Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 of the Indianapolis Colts and head coach Shane Steichen stand for the national anthem prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 7, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Hours after head coach Shane Steichen named Jones Indianapolis’ starter on Tuesday, Richardson’s agent Deiric Jackson spoke to ESPN, hinting that the relationship between the Colts and Richardson could potentially be fractured.
“Trust is a big factor and that is, at best, questionable right now,” Jackson said.
Steichen told reporters on Tuesday that Jones was his starter for the 2025 season and he wouldn’t be on a short leash, prompting many to start wondering if Richardson still had a future in Indianapolis.
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Some scouts and NFL draft analysts seem convinced he doesn’t, which is why ESPN’s Field Yates has the Colts taking Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in his early 2026 mock draft.
“The Colts recently named Daniel Jones as their starter for the 2025 season, which underscores the team’s big need for a true QB of the future,” Yates wrote. “The ship seems to have already sailed on Anthony Richardson Sr. Allar has ideal 6-foot-5, 235-pound size, good mobility and a rocket arm.
“I also see moments of creativity on the tape. The tools and upside have evaluators intrigued, but they also want to see more consistency and urgency in the pocket in 2025. If he puts it all together, Allar would be a great get for the Colts in this range.”
Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up before the 2025 Orange Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium on January 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions warms up before the 2025 Orange Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium on January 9, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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Many believed Allar had come out in the 2025 draft, he would’ve been a top-15 or maybe even top-10 pick.
The 21-year-old signal-caller completed a career-high 66.5% of his passes for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions last season while leading the Nittany Lions to a 13-3 record and 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper has been high on Allar for a while, stating during an appearance on the “Adam Schefter Podcast” that he believes Allar could even work his way into the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick.
“Right now, this is the Drew Allar year,” Kiper said. “When you’re looking at having guys like that [running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen] back, that should help him and should allow Drew Allar, with another year, to really step it up and to, maybe, become the No. 1 pick overall — or somewhere in the mix to be that first quarterback.”
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