The Indianapolis Colts have received some backlash for starting Daniel Jones over Anthony Richardson for potentially the entire 2025 NFL season. With the Colts making this move, there is no doubt that general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are on the hot seat.
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Indianapolis Colts guard Tanor Bortolini (60) hikes the ball to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Steichen spoke to the media on Tuesday about deciding to choose Jones over Richardson as the starting quarterback. Jones signed a one-year deal in the offseason. Richardson is turning out to be a big time bust after being the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Florida Gators. With the Colts making this move, can they also trade Richardson?
NFL Analyst Questions Motive About the Indianapolis Colts Starting Daniel Jones Over Anthony Richardson At Quarterback
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Aug 16, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) runs the ball against Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah Simmons (28) during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
James Boyd of the Athletic wrote about the Colts decision to start Jones over Richardson. He believes that the Colts internally are done with Richardson even if Ballard has continuously supported him. Boyd said,
“Maybe Jones does give the Colts the best chance to win in 2025, but in a QB competition in which neither passer truly pulled away from the other, Jones was always the safer pick.
Of course, choosing Jones is justified given Richardson’s well-documented struggles on the field and the litany of injuries that have often kept him off it. Ballard noted that Richardson’s inability to stay healthy (17 missed games due to injury over the last two seasons) was the No. 1 reason the Colts pursued competition for him in the first place. That cracked the door open for Jones, who inked a one-year, $14 million deal to even come here.
And Richardson hasn’t done himself any favors in the aftermath of Jones’ arrival. He was shut down in the spring due to a throwing shoulder injury and dislocated his right pinkie finger in the preseason opener. He has continued to prove he can’t be trusted to stay on the field.
But the idea that Richardson’s second benching in nine months can somehow be spun into a positive for his development isn’t very moving. Richardson needs to play to prove he is capable of being more accurate and more available. That’s not an option for a player standing on the sideline on Sundays.”
Is there a chance that rookie Riley Leonard could be the backup quarterback to Jones instead of Richardson when the Colts open the season against the Miami Dolphins in a couple of weeks? That would be a major turning point for the franchise if Indianapolis got rid of Richardson entirely.
It is amazing how Ballard is still employed by this franchise. He should have been canned after they finished with an 8-9 record last season and missed the playoffs again. Indianapolis has missed the playoffs over the last few years and have not been there since 2020. It would be a shock if Richardson played another down for this franchise also.
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