With a few weeks to go until the NFL free agency period begins, now is a good time to check in on what some of the Houston Texans' rivals are up to.
After all, the rest of the AFC South has some catching up to do after the Texans won their second of back-to-back division titles last season. The division hasn't seen a franchise win three AFCS titles in a row since the Indianapolis Colts won five consecutively (2003-07) nearly two decades ago, leaving time to tell if Houston can break that drought in 2025.
The Colts are likely the Texans' biggest competition toward another AFC South crown, given how bad the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans have been. Having said that, Indianapolis just made an announcement that will likely prevent it from getting the better of Houston next season.
Texans News: Colts Announce Open QB Competition at Combine
According to Indy Star's Joel A. Erickson, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has announced that the team will be having a quarterback competition in training camp. The upcoming battle is slated to take place between former 2023 fourth-overall pick Anthony Richardson and "the player the team brings in this offseason."
Ballard says Colts will have an open competition at QB between Anthony Richardson and the player the team brings in this offseason
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) February 25, 2025
By the sound of things, it looks like the Colts are ready to admit that drafting Richardson was a mistake. The former Florida Gator was seen as a project prospect before he was drafted, and that sentiment has only grown stronger amid a bumpy development — mostly due to injuries.
Since being a top-five pick nearly two years ago, Richardson has only made 15 starts. A shoulder injury limited him to four appearances as a rookie before a combination of various injuries and being benched by head coach Shane Steichen capped the 22-year-old QB at 11 appearances in 2024.
Despite showing flashes of greatness here and there, Richardson has struggled to put everything together when he's on the gridiron. He's only played to a 50.6% completion rate and 67.8 passer rating in his early career, tallying 2,391 passing yards with 11 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He's also recorded 635 rushing yards and 10 more TDs on 111 carries, however, it's worth mentioning that he's fumbled the ball 12 times already.
It's going to be interesting to see who the Colts will bring in to compete with Richardson. Spotrac is currently projecting that Indianapolis will have over $35.2 million to spend in free agency, meaning the Texans' rival could target names like Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, or Jameis Winston as potential candidates.
Regardless of who the Colts add, this news is great for the Texans. Indianapolis not knowing who its No. 1 QB will be means that it will be harder to create chemistry among pass-catchers, and Houston will get to exploit that during the rivals' two annual meetings.
More will be known about the Colts' QB situation closer to the start of free agency, which opens on Wednesday, March 12. In the meantime, the Texans will continue into the offseason's next stage with the 10th-best Super Bowl 60 odds (+2800) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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