The Indianapolis Colts should know by now the risk they took in signing Daniel Jones this offseason. If they don’t, they’re quickly finding out why the New York Giants treated him like chopped liver and why he never saw the field with the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was always a risk option, even when he was drafted inside the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft. But the Colts put themselves in this position.
They are literally using the preseason to determine who will be the Week 1 starter, based on how Shane Steichen is rolling out Jones and Anthony Richardson over the first two preseason games. Richardson will play a quarter and a half and Jones to take over the rest of the half, then they’ll swap roles in the second game, per Angela Moryan, who covers the Colts for WISH News 8 in Indianapolis.
This comes as Richardson received first-team reps during practice on Tuesday.
daniel jones doing daniel jones things pic.twitter.com/Wgyw22iKIl
— Beckett (@twinbervikes) August 3, 2025
The only thing Steichen and the Colts are going to realize after the preseason is they didn’t get any more clarity on their starting quarterback position and neither is probably the best option right now.
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback battle is their own fault and they’re find that out the hard way
Chris Ballard already came out and said the pressure to start Richardson Week 1 of his rookie season forced him to make a decision he otherwise didn’t agree with. And it hurt Richardson’s progression. Because of that, they’ve toyed around with his career and not allowed him to actually grow. He came in as one of the most inexperienced quarterbacks taken in the first round in recent history.
He was always going to need time and reps to get to where the Colts want him to be. And adding Jones in the mix doesn’t do anything but complicate things moving forward. Jones is the better option, but it’s not because he’s the better player. The Giants let him go midseason after throwing a ridiculous $160 million extension for a reason. The Colts will soon be reminded of that.
Jones was never going to be good enough to make this team better. At best, they were going to have slightly more consistent play. But Richardson has flexed his potential numerous times. If he doesn’t win the job it’s not because Jones took it from him. It’s because Steichen is probably being more cautious than he’s ever been in making sure he’s truly ready to give Richardson the keys to the offense.