The Indianapolis Colts were in a tough spot this NFL offseason. While they had a solid 2024 season and nearly made the playoffs, Anthony Richardson didn’t quite live up to what fans and management were hoping to see from him. His elite arm talent and athleticism were on full display, but consistency was a real concern.
As a result, the Colts have added competition for Richardson by signing former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million deal. It might have worked, as Richardson’s camp claims he is ready to fight for the starting job even if it was Joe Montana instead of Jones.
Anthony Richardson Determined To Win Starting Job Over Daniel Jones
The Colts drafted Richardson fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and while he showed flashes as a rookie, injuries limited him to only four games. He really struggled with consistency in 2024, eventually getting benched for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard had previously stated that he intended to create an open competition at quarterback, and signing Jones in free agency aligns with that approach.
With Jones having ranked 32nd in PFSN’s QB+ metric, five spots higher than Richardson, there is a real chance he gets the starting job ahead of Richardson. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Richardson’s camp said the quarterback was determined to win his place.
“I talked to somebody in Richardson’s camp at the combine about this whole dynamic, and I brought up Daniel Jones and some of the things I was hearing. And he said, Anthony doesn’t care if they bring in Joe Montana – like, he’s going to go win that job. And I did – maybe that’s just talk, but I did find it interesting,” Fowler said on Rich Eisen Show.
Richardson’s agent, Deric Jackson, previously said that he was “ready to roll” in this quarterback competition, and while the Colts do have trust in his arm talent, he will need to be consistent to keep Jones at bay.
Fowler further noted that Richardson had more chances of starting than not after his play improved at the end of last season.
“I think, talking to some people there in Indy, they did feel like he was trending slightly up by the end of the year,” Fowler continued. “He had regrouped a little bit, was playing a little better, but it’s the inconsistent play with the durability where they’re like, we have to get somebody, and we have to spend a little bit of money.”
Richardson finished the 2024 season with 1,814 passing yards and eight touchdowns while completing less than 50% of his passes in the 11 games. He also added 499 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Jones posted 2,070 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and 265 rushing yards with two scores in 10 games.
