The Indianapolis Colts are no closer to solving their quarterback situation after their first preseason game than they were going into it.
They listed former 4th overall pick Anthony Richardson, who has not lived up to expectations since the Colts drafted him in 2023, as the team's starting quarterback on their first "unofficial depth chart" and gave him the nod in their first preseason game.
Richardson was knocked out of the game with a dislocated pinkie on the team's second drive after taking a big sack and only attempting three passes. After playing fewer than 10 snaps, the Colts coaching staff was not able to really gauge how far Richardson has progressed since last year and still will have some major question marks.
The oft-injured quarterback has played just 15 games over his first two seasons, and while he has shown some flashes, he has simply not done enough to just blindly hand him the keys to the offense.
Due to injuries and inconsistency, the Colts signed Daniel Jones to a one-year deal in free agency to serve as some competition and insurance to Richardson.
In relief, Jones did not light the world on fire, completing just 10-of-21 passes for 144 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Richardson's finger injury does not appear to be long-term, as he could return to practice as soon as Saturday. This will give the Colts a few more chances to see what both quarterbacks can do in NFL action.
Anthony Richardson injury gives him more chance of proving he's worthy of QB1 role
Richardson is still one of the youngest starting quarterbacks in the NFL (that is if he ends up starting). Indianapolis is likely looking to evaluate whether he can become that franchise guy they thought they were getting in 2023 or if they need to start looking at other options.
The initial plan was for Richardson to get the start most of the game against the Ravens and then Jones would get the majority of snaps next week during their game against the Green Bay Packers. But since Richardson only played a limited number of snaps, it can be expected that plans could change and he gets most of the snaps next week.
Jones has shown that he can win games for a team after helping the New York Giants not only make the playoffs but advance to the Divisional Round in 2022. While his ceiling is clearly lower than Richardson's, he might provide more consistency and stability for the Colts' offense this year. But he needs to show it, as he was never able to prove he can be the Giants' starting quarterback for the foreseeable future.
After finishing 8-9 last year in a division that isn't all that strong, the Colts definitely have playoff aspirations. Indianapolis will have to determine which of the two former top 10 picks gives them the best chance to make the postseason before their opening week matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
At this point, they are probably hoping that one of the quarterbacks forces their hand and makes it an easy decision for the coaching staff. So far it doesn't seem like Richardson or Jones has taken a strong grasp of the QB1 spot.