Both quarterbacks vying to emerge as the Indianapolis Colts starter for the 2025 season opener had an opportunity to make a statement Thursday, but neither signal caller seized the moment to separate from their counterpart.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen has not reached a decision after three weeks of camp, but the overall performances in Thursday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s preseason game could determine the outcome of the QB competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. When the Colts face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 2 preseason game, Jones will start and is expected to play about two series before Richardson takes over to close out the rest of the first half.
The Colts hosted the Packers for a joint-practice Thursday to close the seventh edition of training camp at Grand Park. Indianapolis’ fourth overall draft pick from the 2023 NFL Draft executed a strong drive to lead the first-team offense 60 yards downfield on the final team session, which started with just 1:12 left on the clock. Richardson fired into a tight window and hit receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on a slant for an explosive gain to move the offense into Packers territory. Indianapolis’ third-year quarterback showed a sense of urgency to get the next play off, then rifled his next pass to Colts rookie Tyler Warren before the All-American standout even turned around. Warren showcased excellent anticipation to secure the catch with his hands to march just outside of the red zone.
After receiver Adonai Mitchell drew a pass interference penalty inside the end zone, which placed the Colts near the goal line, Richardson fed running back Jonathan Taylor to cap the final drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown and under 10 seconds left. On the two-point attempt, Richardson escaped the pass rush and scrambled right outside the pocket to deliver a dart to Pittman in the end zone for a successful conversion.
Perhaps the most thrilling session was the 1-on-1 battles operating at the same time on adjacent fields between the Colts receivers against the Packers defensive backs on Field 1, while the Packers receiving corps lined up against the Colts defensive backs on Field 2. A pair of Texas products dominated their 1-on-1 matchups as Mitchell left his defender in the dust on a comeback route, then rose up to high-point a deep ball on his second rep, which earned a massive ovation from the faithful stampede in the grandstands. Packers rookie receiver Matthew Golden had several intense, back-and-forth reps while matched up opposite Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward. Richardson delivered the best highlight from the 1-on-1 drills when he floated a perfect fade down the right sideline and receiver Anthony Gould made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone.
It took a while for Jones to find some rhythm with the second unit after he commanded strictly run plays in the initial team period. When Jones took over the first unit, three of his first four reps featured Jones sack after sack, plus a pair of incompletions that deflected off the fingertips of his targets. Jones was picked off twice in the joint-practice, but his first interception was the fault of Mitchell bobbling the catch before it was deflected into the grasp of Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon. Perhaps the lowlight of Jones’ final training camp practice was his final snap of Thursday’s joint-practice, when he held onto the ball too long for a sack, then proceeded to throw a terrible interception following the whistle.
The Colts offensive line struggled trying to control the Packers’ pass rush in team sessions, which resulted in both QBs having to try and extend plays on numerous occasions. The Colts were a disorganized mess as multiple pre-snap infractions, two fumbles and a dropped snap by Richardson were concerns of the rough practice period. The wheels started to fall off after Richardson was picked off by Packers rookie Jonathan Baldwin. Richardson missed his next five pass attempts and reverted back to inaccurate throws that sailed way over his intended target. The Colts were shut down in the session focused inside the red zone, especially during Richardson’s run with the second unit. Through 22 plays inside the 20-yard-line, the Colts offense reached the end zone just once as Richardson found Pittman open in the end zone for a touchdown.
There are pros and cons with either decision Steichen makes ahead of the 2025 NFL season. The choice to start Richardson gives the third-year pro another chance to develop. Ideally, if Richardson can make it through a complete season, it gives the Colts to further evaluate if he’s the future of the franchise. The con would be rolling the dice and relying on the NFL’s most inaccurate QB to revive the once-renowned franchise from obscurity into an AFC contender.
Jones is more consistent than Richardson, especially since his game tends to settle for simple checkdowns and shorter routes to avoid making mistakes. The pro in choosing Jones as the Week 1 starter is he can operate the run-pass-option and thrives when baiting the defense with play action designs. The major con is despite his visible night-and-day difference in average depth of target, Jones still makes poor decisions with his throws on extended plays.
Injuries continue to pile up to potential starters and two more Colts players left Thursday’s practice due to injury. Receiver Josh Downs walked off the practice field with a trainer after suffering a hamstring injury and defensive end Samson Ebukam left practice while dealing a back injury.
The Colts are one of three NFL teams that has yet to determine a starter for the 2025 season opener, along with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. Those three franchises have one thing in common, which is instability under center. Indianapolis has not been stable at the QB position in any of the last seven seasons.