Anthony Richardson appears to be leading the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback competition against Daniel Jones as the two rebounded after performances early in training camp.
Both quarterbacks have improved throughout camp, but Richardson’s play has showcased an ability to make tight throws and navigate pressure.
The Colts’ coaching staff emphasizes consistency as key factors in determining the starting quarterback.
WESTFIELD, Ind. – Anthony Richardson hadn’t even thrown the pass, but that didn’t stop him from jogging across the Indianapolis Colts’ practice field to dap up wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and D.J. Montgomery on separate occasions after they both hauled in long passes during the Tuesday, July 29 session of training camp.
Pretty soon, Richardson may be running away with the Colts’ quarterback competition he’s currently in with Daniel Jones.
No decisions have been made. But the first two days of padded practice at training camp saw Richardson assert himself as the leader in the clubhouse, with the fourth overall pick from 2023 mostly running with the first-team offense.
“Honestly, I can’t really answer that, because it’s not really up to me to decide whether there is any separation,” Richardson said when USA TODAY Sports asked him whether he’d felt like he’d distanced himself from Jones through the first week of camp. “The only thing I can focus on is if I’m doing everything in my power to be right.”
Richardson said he competes against himself and wants to make the decision for the coaches easy.
“I just got to make sure I’m doing my part so they do decide ‘OK this is the guy,’” Richardson said.
Richardson completed 8 of 13 passes during his 11-on-11 reps, according to Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star (part of the USA TODAY Network), and he fit his throws into some tight windows. On one play, he cleanly sidestepped pressure in the pocket and added some air to a throw so Anthony Gould could adjust his route and maneuver under the ball for the completion.
Shane Steichen and his staff, for their part, have talked about Jones and Richardson as a unit rather than individuals. Neither Richardson nor Jones – owner of a 22-44-1 career record with one playoff appearance during parts of six seasons with the New York Giants – began camp on a strong note. But like Richardson, Jones also played better Tuesday.
“We just want to see progress every single day as we go through camp, and both of them had a really nice day today,” Steichen told reporters Monday, July 28.
Jones said he felt good entering camp based on his spring with the Colts, who signed him to a one-year, $14 million contract – serious money for a backup that signaled their intent on having an open competition for the “QB1” job. But everything resets upon returning to training camp. The reps are faster and the intensity is higher.
For the most part, Jones said, his process is unchanged by the competition.
“I feel like it’s something made a bigger deal by, kind of, the story of it and the attention it gets,” Jones said. “When you’re in it and part of it, you’re preparing like you do at any point to play well.”
The competitive nature in human beings sparks curiosity. Jones said it’s natural to think about his standing in the race.
“I think you do your best to avoid it and stay as focused as you can on what you’re doing, I think that’s the biggest challenge,” said Jones, who said the Colts were transparent about the competition process from the time they signed him and throughout the spring. “It’s a competition, and they want to see who’s going to play well most consistently.”
What will decide the race is a better question for Steichen, Jones said. But what has been explained to them is that the quarterback who consistently shows up and makes the best decisions will earn the coaching staff’s trust to be the starter.
The competition is one that has been watched across the league. Would the Colts move on from their top pick in favor of Jones, who’d been cast aside in New York after six seasons and picked up off the scrap pile by the Minnesota Vikings to end the 2024 season? That Richardson was on a ‘pitch count’ during spring workouts due to a shoulder injury – he hasn’t been limited at all in training camp – made it all the more interesting.
Moreover, Richardson was benched halfway through last season. The team went 3-3 in his first six starts of the season (he missed two games with injury) but he completed 44.4% of his passes during that span with four touchdowns and seven interceptions. The critical juncture came during a Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans when he asked to come out of the game on a third-down play because he was tired. The move upset the locker room and Steichen benched him for two weeks in favor of Joe Flacco before reinstating Richardson until a back injury cost him the last two weeks of the season. He has missed 19 of a possible 34 starts in the NFL since being drafted.
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This offseason, Richardson recommitted himself to being a leader, his mechanics and mastering the offense, he said. Steichen said he was pleased with Richardson’s heightened understanding of the offense entering Year 3.
“Each guy’s had his moments for sure,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo told USA TODAY Sports, “so it’s going to be fun to see how it plays out.”
Every year, Richardson said, quarterbacks have to prepare as if somebody is coming for their job. A new quarterback is on the roster every season. Not all of them are former first-rounders with a playoff victory under his belt, like Jones, but it doesn’t matter who it is – even Tom Brady, as Richardson said.
“He’s the greatest, I just got to work and try to beat him,” Richardson said. “It’s a me versus me type of thing.”
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Richardson said he is rooting for Jones to play his best because they are in the grind together and he respects that he’s working just as hard as him.
“He’s making plays, I’m proud of him. I’m making plays, he’s proud of me,” said Richardson, who said whichever QB brings success to the team and wins is the one the Colts need.
Hyping up teammates is coming easy to Richardson in 2025. Richardson said All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson talked about bringing the requisite energy during a team meeting the other day. “I feel like I’m just trying to do my part,” Richardson said. “I’m just excited for guys to make plays because I know that’s going to translate to the game. I know that if it happens in a game, I’m going to do the same exact thing.”
Except once the regular season rolls around, Richardson hopes it’s him who’s throwing the passes that ignite the celebrations.