The Indianapolis Colts have just over three months to determine who their starting quarterback will be heading into the 2025 NFL season. And at this point, it sounds as if it is truly still up in the air who will be leading the team in Week 1.
The addition of veteran quarterback Daniel Jones has put pressure on Anthony Richardson to truly separate himself and show that he is still the future of the Colts organization. And thus far, it seems as if he has yet to do that, even if Colts head coach Shane Steichen is impressed with some of Richardson’s growth this offseason.
Speaking with reporters during his press conference after OTAs on Wednesday, Steichen detailed how he plans to give Jones and Richardson exactly 170 reps a piece as they figure out who the right man for the starting job is in Indianapolis.
“We’re breaking down the reps,” Steichen said, via transcript from the team transcribed by Pro Football Talk. “They are both getting one reps. They’re both getting two reps. I think through OTAs, we’ve got nine good practices. They’ll both get about 170 reps a piece with those guys, with the ones and twos, and we’ll flip-flop them. You guys were out there today. You saw how it worked, and that’s how it’s going to go.”
Speaking directly about what he has seen from Richardson, the quarterback he leveraged his future on by selecting him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he detailed how he has seen some mechanical improvements from the third year quarterback.
“I think every year the fundamentals and technique continue to get better, and obviously we’re working through those,” Steichen added. “But I’ve seen strides in that area over the past — since this spring and into practice today.”
It will certainly be interesting to see how the Colts quarterback battle plays out. On paper, this may very well be Richardson’s last chance to truly stake his claim to being the quarterback of the future in Indianapolis, with just two years remaining on his rookie deal should the team pick up his fifth-year option.