The Indianapolis Colts are entering a pivotal offseason with a quarterback battle that nobody saw coming a year ago.
After investing a top-five pick in Anthony Richardson, the franchise now finds itself splitting first-team reps with Daniel Jones, a veteran most recently with the Minnesota Vikings. And according to one analyst, not only will it be the biggest storyline to watch out for in Indy, but the competition between the two QBs is tighter than many expect.
QB Battle Between Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones
Richardson entered 2024 as the starter and struggled to find his footing all season. He missed Weeks 5 and 6 with an oblique injury and pulled himself from the team’s Week 8 game against the Houston Texans for a play in the third quarter. Richardson went 10-of-32 for 175 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 45 rushing yards that game.
He was benched for Joe Flacco the following week after completing just 44.3% of his passes to that point. Richardson finished 2024 with 1,814 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions on 47.7% passing. He added 499 yards and six rushing scores but is on shaky ground heading into 2025.
Richardson hasn’t proven he can stay on the field, and when he is, he’s been mediocre. He finished 37th (out of 39) in PFSN’s QB+ metric last season, while Flacco finished 23rd and Jones finished 32nd.
#Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones working on routes pic.twitter.com/D0NplXkY8c
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) May 28, 2025
Jones, who was selected sixth overall by the New York Giants in 2019, had one “good” season in the Big Apple, where he threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 16 starts.
He added 708 rushing yards and seven scores while leading the Giants to a 9-6-1 record and a Wild Card berth. He threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 10 games last season before being benched and ultimately released.
An interesting storyline heading into training camp will be how long the Colts continue to split reps between Richardson and Jones. They have similar play styles, but Jones, albeit only once, has proven that he can lead a team to the playoffs. Even if Richardson starts in Week 1, the 28-year-old will likely remain in contention to become the starter throughout the season.
