The Indianapolis Colts quarterback competition may not turn out to be a competition between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. For now, Jones has the lead over Richardson for the starting job, and it appears as if it may start that way.
The former first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson, is dealing with a shoulder injury. With this being the case, this could be the end of him as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Jones has not been great either in his NFL career, but he has done more to this point than Richardson has.
Daniel Jones Winning the Indianapolis Colts Starting Quarterback Job Would Not Be an Overreaction
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports listed many potential overreaction statements before the start of NFL training camp. One statement he made was that Jones will beat out Richardson for the starting quarterback job for the Colts. Kerr thinks that is not an overreaction at all. He said,
“The AC joint injury Richardson suffered in minicamp is concerning, especially considering this injury is in the same shoulder that required surgery and sidelined Richardson for most of his rookie season in 2023. Richardson has been injured and inconsistent since entering the NFL, and will have to prove he’ll be healthy in training camp before winning a competition.
Jones usually flashes in minicamp and training camp, so he certainly could stampede ahead of Richardson in the quarterback competition. While Jones has a questionable track record regarding injuries as well, he’s more accurate than Richardson and gets a fresh start behind a significantly better offensive line than the one he had in New York.
Richardson needs to take command of the offense this summer, or he will be watching Jones start Week 1. His shoulder injury may give Jones the job, especially if Jones impresses with the first team while Richardson is on the mend.”
Jones was released from the New York Giants during the middle of the 2024 NFL season and signed with the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Him having a fresh start in Indianapolis with head coach Shane Steichen could be very interesting, especially on a one-year deal. Jones completed 63.3% of his passes for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
He also rushed for 265 yards on 67 carries and two touchdowns, along with averaging 4.0 yards per carry. These numbers are better than what Richardson has done. He only completed 47.7% of his passes for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Richardson also rushed for 499 yards on 86 carries and six touchdowns, along with averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Jones should be in the lead over Richardson even if they were both healthy. In reality, Jones should be the Week 1 starter for the Colts anyway and it is possible that Indianapolis is searching for a new franchise quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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