One of the top training camp battles will be at quarterback in Indianapolis. Will the Colts start Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson in Week 1?
Indianapolis Colts Will Have A Quarterback Competition
At a gathering of local media after his presser, Colts GM Chris Ballard was asked if had spoken to Anthony Richardson and to clarify that he (Ballard) did in fact mean it's an open competition at QB. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/Z33wr81VaC
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) February 25, 2025
The Indianapolis Colts have not had stability at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 season. Aside from the 2020 season with Philip Rivers, the Colts have been searching for their next franchise quarterback.
Matt Ryan, Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz, Sam Ehlinger, Gardner Minshew, Nick Foles, and Joe Flacco have all taken snaps under center since Luck’s retirement. None of those quarterbacks remain on the Colts roster.
The Colts drafted Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall in 2023, with hopes he would become the next franchise quarterback. Things have not gone according to plan.
Richardson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for four touchdowns in four games during his rookie year. Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Richardson did not take the leap in 2024 that many expected him to. Richardson threw 12 interceptions and only completed 47.7% of his passes. The dual-threat quarterback still found success in the ground game, but the passing is a major concern.
Richardson was eventually benched for Flacco.
Heading into this offseason, the Colts announced they would bring in another quarterback to compete with Jones for the starting position. Colts general manager Chris Ballard believes a competition will be “good” for Richardson.
“We want to create real competition,” Ballard said at the NFL Scouting Combine via Colts.com. “I think it’s good for the team. I think it’s good for Anthony … We drafted Anthony high knowing it was going to take some time and we knew there’s going to be some hiccups along the way. I know we all want a finished product right now. I do. You do. Fans do. We all do. But I think as he continues to progress in his young career, us adding competition, I think, will help up everybody’s game.”
Colts QB Competition
A little impromptu NFL Live appearance during a visit to Bristol today. Some Anthony Richardson/Daniel Jones conversation with tidbits from Adam Schefter: pic.twitter.com/von4oZidaB
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) July 14, 2025
Ballard spoke about bringing in another quarterback to compete with Richardson.
Enter Jones, who signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Colts earlier this offseason.
Jones, a former first-round pick, had his best season with the New York Giants in 2022. Jones threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. The athletic Jones also rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns.
Jones led the New York Giants to an upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round.
Jones never experienced that amount of success again, and the Giants waived him late during the 2024 season. Jones signed with the Minnesota Vikings and rode the bench for the final few games.
Now, Jones joins the Colts with a legitimate chance to start. The two quarterbacks were supposed to share reps during minicamp, but a shoulder injury kept Richardson out of minicamp.
Due to Richardson’s injury and inconsistent play, this is Jones’ job to lose.
Predicted Winner: Daniel Jones
