The never-ending carousel will continue as Daniel Jones is set to become the eighth different Week 1 starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts over the last nine season openers.
Indianapolis’ QB competition started in OTAs and spanned through 13 training camp practices at Grand Park and two preseason games. Colts head coach Shane Steichen ultimately determined the conservative veteran who signed in free agency is better equipped to operate his offense than the first player he advocated to draft.
The New York Giants released Jones after a 2-8 record through 10 starts last season. Jones received a second lifeline to revive his aspirations as an NFL starter and seized the enormous opportunity that was presented when he signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts on March 11. The 28-year-old bet on himself to win the starting job and his decision to embark on a fresh start was validated in Steichen’s press conference Tuesday.
“That was obviously a big piece of why I came here,” Jones told reporters. “To play, to be on the field, and to be with this group. I think it’s a strong group of players as I said, and a strong group of coaches with the system. I think there’s a lot of things here to be excited about. So yeah, I’m certainly happy I made the decision I did.”
The Anthony Richardson experiment is over. Indianapolis envisioned developing a player with unlimited potential when Richardson was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Colts knew Richardson’s developmental process would be a roller-coaster of peaks and valleys, but the organization pulled the plug after just 10 NFL starts. Richardson had more than two years to master Steichen’s system, but it’s the second time the Colts chose to bench him in favor of a veteran free agent acquisition.
“I guess you could say somewhat surprised, but at the end of the day, we all knew somebody was going to have to be on this end of the stick,” Richardson said. “It was me. I feel like I did improve. My improvement was there, but there are still ways I can improve. There are still ways I can become a better player (and) become a starter in this league.”
Steichen made it clear this would not be a short-term decision either, stating “He’s our starting quarterback for the season,” after naming Jones the starter. Indy’s third-year coach preached consistency was the key to winning the QB1 battle and it’s fair to say Jones was more consistent than Richardson over the course of the offseason program through training camp. Jones took all the first-team reps during veteran minicamp while Richardson was shut down due to an aggravated right shoulder. Jones also had to enter in relief just six offensive snaps into the preseason opener after Richardson misunderstood the pass protection, which resulted in a sack and a dislocated pinky.
It’s clear Richardson still needs more reps to develop as a passer, but those reps may now be limited to the form of scout team during practice. Richardson’s short journey in Indianapolis has been riddled with numerous setbacks and inconsistent play. The third-year pro has missed 19 of a possible 34 career games due to injuries or benching. Richardson’s infamous tap out on third down against the AFC South-rival Houston Texans was unacceptable and his 47.7% completion rate was dead last in the league last season.
Perhaps the Stampede Blue community was just as stunned as the writing staff was regarding the outcome. Some may call the handling of this developmental process organizational malpractice. What’s most concerning is that the franchise that has been stuck in a mediocre limbo for the last decade may still have to search for yet another signal caller in 2026. Neither Richardson or Jones seem to be the long-term solution, so this outcome leads to even more uncertainty regarding the future of the once-renowned franchise.
If only there were a preseason panic button to press before the 2025 season falls off the rails. Fans will look back on the decision to bench Richardson twice as the main reason why the organization gets a complete overhaul in 2026. The Colts have a mediocre 17-17 record in two seasons under Steichen and hold a 62-69-1 record with zero AFC South titles in eight seasons under GM Chris Ballard. Maybe it’s necessary for the Colts to go in full reset mode after throwing up the white flag to admit the organization failed to develop a project that was simply not ready to be thrust into the position he was in 2023.
Sunday will mark six years since Andrew Luck’s stunning retirement during a preseason game prior to the start of the 2019 NFL season. The Colts have searched aimlessly for an answer to solve the QB dilemma ever since that fateful day. Jones will be the 11th different QB to get the starting nod since Luck retired. There are a handful of recent cases where QBs excelled on their second team after their former team gave up on them, such as Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, or Jared Goff in Detroit. Both Sam Darnold and Geno Smith just earned lucrative, long-term contracts after getting their second chance elsewhere. Perhaps the same was needed for Jones and perhaps the same may be needed for Richardson to remove the “bust” label that will be tied to his name until he earns another opportunity.
The Colts host the Miami Dolphins in the season opener inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. Below are the QBs who have started the season opener for the Colts since 2017.
2017: Scott Tolzien
2018: Andrew Luck
2019: Jacoby Brissett
2020: Phillip Rivers
2021: Carson Wentz
2022: Matt Ryan
2023: Anthony Richardson
2024: Anthony Richardson
2025: Daniel Jones