Former Fairhope High School standout Riley Leonard could make his debut in an Indianapolis Colts uniform on Thursday night. The Colts kick off their preseason schedule against the Baltimore Ravens, and as the sixth-round quarterback prepares for his first NFL season, he has the backing of one of the game’s greatest.
Joe Montana shared a video message with Leonard and signed a jersey to encourage the rookie as he approaches his first NFL season.
“That kind of hit more than getting the call on draft night,” Leonard said after listening to Montana’s message.
In an event sponsored by Fanatics, NFL all-stars of the past shared messages with some of the league’s incoming rookies, and each first-year player got a jersey signed by his advisor.
What’s the connection between Leonard and Montana?
Both played at Notre Dame.
Leonard led the Fighting Irish to the CFP national-championship game for the 2024 season before departing for the NFL in the April draft.
Montana entered the NFL from Notre Dame as a third-round selection in the 1979 draft. He led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl victories and won The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award twice before entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2000 in his first year of eligibility.
The Colts and Ravens will square off at 6 p.m. CDT Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. NFL Network will televise the game.
Indianapolis’ first depth chart of the preseason shows Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson as the Colts’ No. 1 quarterback, with Leonard on the third team.
Richardson has started all 15 games that he’s played for Indianapolis since coming aboard as the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Signed as a free agent in March, Jones made 69 starts for the New York Giants after entering the NFL as the sixth selection in the 2019 draft.
On Sunday, Colts coach Shane Steichen said Jones and Richardson would play against the Ravens.
“One’ll play a good amount in this game,” Steichen said on Sunday, “and the next one’ll probably play a good amount in the next game.”
Since then, Richardson has been announced as Indianapolis’ starting QB for the preseason opener.
Steichen did not say how much Leonard might play in the preseason opener.
“I think he’s doing a good job,” Steichen said about the rookie quarterback. “I think he’s making real good strides. I think coming in as a rookie, any rookie quarterback, learning the system, getting the reps, I think he’s taken advantage of a lot of it. I mean, still things to grow and learn from, but he’s been making great strides.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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