Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) searches to pass the ball with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, during NFL Colts mandatory mini camp at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Insider Reveals Surprise Development in Colts' QB Competition

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 4:43 PM ET

Could Daniel Jones have an early leg-up on Anthony Richardson in the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback battle?

Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer seems to think that might be the case.

Breer recently broke down a few interesting notes coming out of NFL minicamps around the league, where he went on to make an interesting comment surrounding the Colts' quarterback battle.

"Daniel Jones has had a really nice spring, by all accounts, in picking up Shane Steichen’s offense in Indy," Breer wrote. "Even if Anthony Richardson is cleared for the start of training camp, he may be chasing Jones for the Colts’ starting job."

Without Richardson in the mix for the meantime during minicamps and OTAs, it's effectively allowed Jones, the Colts' offseason addition, to present an early audition for what the team could expect from their veteran acquisition leading into training camp and Week One of the season.

And according to Breer, those early reps in Steichen's offense have benefited Jones in a big way, with signs inside the Colts' building seem to be pointing in a positive direction for his chances to start come Week One.

Richardson has the unmatchable ceiling to produce in this offense, and has the otherworldly athleticism to give him and the Colts' scoring unit sky-high potential to be a diverse and versatile attack with his dual-threat ability and incredible deep arm talent.

But, for Jones, he stands out in a few other vital qualities that this Indianapolis offense needs to be consistent for the season ahead. He stays on the field and has a more finely-tuned accuracy that Richardson couldn't provide for this offense last season, throwing his infamous 48% completion rate.

With those factors in mind, along with Richardson's most recent injury to take him off the field, it's easy to see how Jones may be finding a few fans within the building, which could be the traction necessary to get him that Week One starting gig vs. the Miami Dolphins.

It's far from saying this competition is over, or that Jones is head and shoulders above Richardson in their battle to determine this offense's starting signal caller. Yet, the situation could lead to the Colts' 2023 fourth-overall pick now having an upward climb to earn that spot as QB1, rather than being highly expected to take those snaps only a few months ago this offseason.

The current landscape could very well shift, but if the season were to start today, and Richardson was ready to go, perhaps Jones would be the one to get that nod from Shane Steichen.