Colts' Daniel Jones keeping same mentality in QB competition with Anthony Richardson sidelined

Free-agency signing Daniel Jones seemingly entered the Indianapolis Colts' summer break as the favorite to win the team's starting quarterback job after third-year pro Anthony Richardson spent the club's mandatory minicamp nursing his sore throwing shoulder. 

However, Jones made it clear while speaking with reporters on Thursday that he isn't yet taking any victory laps regarding a competition that could resume when training camp practices get underway in late July. 

"I’ve got a lot of work to do, just learning this offense and getting used to it, so I’m trying to focus as much on that and then playing good football when I’m on the field at practice," Jones said about his situation, as shared by Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. 

Even before the oft-injured Richardson experienced pain in his surgically-repaired throwing shoulder on May 29, FanDuel Sportsbook repeatedly listed Jones as the betting favorite (-166 odds) to be Indianapolis' Week 1 starter versus the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7. The fact that Colts head coach Shane Steichen couldn't guarantee during mandatory minicamp that Richardson will be able to practice on the first day of training camp suggests Jones' name will be penciled in atop the depth chart on Aug. 1. 

Nevertheless, Jones' mindset hasn't changed from what it was when he joined the Colts back in March. 

"Yeah. I mean, I think that’s always got to be your approach, really at any position in the NFL — just preparing to play and be ready to go," Jones explained. "Like I said, there’s been plenty to work on and stay busy with from my standpoint, and learning the offense and getting here, learning the guys, building relationships with everyone. There’s been plenty to do, so I’ve just been trying to focus on that." 

According to Pro Football Reference, Jones went 3-13 over his final 16 starts with the New York Giants before he was released by the club this past November. Across those outings, he completed 64.7% of his pass attempts for 2,979 yards with 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. 

Jones got to spend some time late last season working with advertised offensive guru and Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell. The Colts clearly are hoping those experiences will help Jones become somewhat of a revelation, especially if Richardson either continues to struggle with his shoulder or fails to look the part when healthy. 

"I’ll continue to learn and grow in my understanding of this offense and how to execute it," Jones added during his comments. 

While things often change quickly in the NFL, it seems that the Indianapolis QB1 gig is Jones' to lose.