Colts name winner of Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr. QB competition

A report from Monday indicated that people within the Indianapolis Colts felt that free-agency signing Daniel Jones "is probably more equipped to be" the club's Week 1 starting quarterback after 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson Sr. struggled with poor play and injury setbacks over his first two pro seasons. 

It turns out Colts head coach Shane Steichen didn't need to see the signal-callers play in Indianapolis' preseason finale at the Cincinnati Bengals to make that call. 

ESPN's Stephen Holder and Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday morning that Jones will serve as the Colts' starter for their regular-season opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7. The Colts later confirmed the news. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard revealed in February that Richardson would be part of an "open" competition for the starting job after the 23-year-old was benched for two games last fall and was limited to just 15 starts out of a possible 32 contests because of numerous injury issues. According to Pro Football Reference, Richardson ended the 2024 season ranked last in the league among qualified quarterbacks with a 47.7% completion percentage and a 61.6 passer rating. 

Back in the spring, Richardson was shut down from throwing on May 29 after he experienced pain in his shoulder that was operated on in October 2023. More recently, he suffered a dislocated right pinkie when he failed to recognize pressure and took a huge hit in Indianapolis' preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 7. 

Meanwhile, Jones received a one-year, $14M contract that's worth up to $17.7M and included $13.15M guaranteed from the Colts this past March after he went 3-13 over his final 16 starts with the New York Giants. Per Fox Sports, Jones completed 17-of-32 passes for 245 yards over his first two preseason games with the Colts.

Like Richardson, Jones has a worrisome injury history. He missed a total of nine games from the start of the 2021 campaign through 2023 due to different neck-related issues. He also suffered a torn ACL in November 2023. 

In short, history suggests that Jones and Richardson could both make multiple starts for the Colts before the 2025 season wraps up in early January. If, however, Jones plays well and stays healthy, Indianapolis theoretically could make Richardson available to other clubs in early 2026.