"Ballard wishes he’d resisted the urge to hand Richardson the job right away, a move late owner Jim Irsay pushed for at the time. What the young quarterback needed was the chance to acclimate to the NFL, to learn the job, to watch a veteran’s daily habits and build his own,” Keefer writes.

Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted to one huge mistake that Indy made with Anthony Richardson. Could he have a breakout season this fall?

The fallout -- Richardson's injuries, brief benching in 2024, and Jekyll-and-Hyde play on the field -- resulted in the Colts conjuring a quarterback competition this summer, as Richardson and free-agent addition Daniel Jones go toe to toe for the right to be the Colts' quarterback. It's got Ballard viewing in hindsight.