Colts Reveal Starting QB vs. Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have very few position battles left to settle at this point in the offseason, but their first preseason opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, have a major one.

Throughout the offseason, the Colts have held a competition between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones to decide their starting quarterback.

Richardson, 23, was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but has struggled to make the jump to the NFL game and completed less than half of his passes last season while throwing for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games.

Meanwhile, Jones, 28, joined the Colts on a one-year deal this offseason after a messy exit from the New York Giants last year. He also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings but didn't appear in a game for them while primarily residing on their practice squad.

Adding to the intrigue, the Colts listed Richardson "OR" Jones as their top quarterback on their latest unofficial depth chart, leaving their starter for Thursday's preseason opener as a mystery. At least, it did for a while.

Following Tuesday's joint practice Colts head coach Shane Steichen named Richardson as the team's starting quarterback for Thursday's game, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. It is worth noting, however, that Steichen previously said that both quarterbacks would see significant playing time.

"One will play a good amount this game and the other will play a good amount next game," Steichen said Sunday, per the team's website.

Richardson has yet to face the Ravens in any capacity. He was inactive for the 2023 matchup, when backup Gardner Minshew led the Colts to an improbable 22-19 overtime win over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, and the two teams didn't play at all in 2024.

Of course, the Ravens won't play their starters for this game, as they haven't played them in the preseason for years now. However, it should still provide some good experience for the youngster.

As previously stated, the Ravens don't have much left to settle on their roster, but Thursday's game should still be quite valuable. Some of the position battles still ongoing include No. 3 safety (Sanoussi Kane vs. Beau Brade), inside linebacker (Trenton Simpson vs. Teddye Buchanan) and left guard (Andrew Vorhees vs. Ben Cleveland).