Colts Qs: Is Daniel Jones Firmly QB1 vs. Anthony Richardson?

In the latest 'Indianapolis Colts Qs,' readers wanted to know all about the quarterback position.

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

Quarterbacks, roster moves, and the future of impending free agents -- this week in "Indianapolis Colts Qs," readers sent in a jam-packed list of questions.

Let's get to it!

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"How much Daniel Jones stock are you buying?" -- RIP Jim Irsay, Twitter

"Daniel Jones 100% the starter, isn’t he?" -- Jeremy Allen, Twitter

"How far behind is Anthony Richardson falling in this competition? Does he even have a real shot at this point to rebound? Or is this Daniel Jones' job to lose now?" -- Dylan Burelison, Twitter

"More of an opinion question here. If the best thing for Anthony Richardson’s development is more reps, and his shoulder gets aggravated the more he throws, the math is not in his favor. He’s supposed to be ready for training camp, but if you were in Shane Steichen’s shoes, would you want to move forward with AR as QB1?" -- @ZONSON3000, YouTube

Nothing definitive has been done about the quarterback competition to this point. It's still open.

However, let's say that Anthony Richardson is back at the start of training camp, or early into it. The Colts have already said that they're not going to throw a full workload onto his plate right away. That would mean that Daniel Jones had two weeks in the spring (OTAs and minicamp) where he was the sole QB1, getting all the reps, and would be getting much of the work in training camp until Richardson's arm was done with the pitch count. In a 50-50 battle, Richardson would clearly be behind in the competition.

At that point, Richardson would either have to look outstanding in camp (especially in joint practices and the preseason) to get the job, or Jones would have to totally lose control of the lead. Jones has looked pretty solid so far from what the media has seen, so it's hard for me to imagine that he's not the favorite right now.

The Colts could feel different, but I think the constant "what if?" surrounding Richardson's health would make things much more disruptive than simply going with a guy in Jones who seems to be operating the offense pretty efficiently.

If Richardson's health wasn't an issue, I would lean into his potential, but questionable health at the quarterback position is a pretty high hurdle for me.

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"If Daniel Jones is starting Week 1, which do you think is the most likely reason: 1. AR didn’t have enough time to win the job in training camp after being out. 2. AR wasn’t healthy enough to win the job. 3. Daniel Jones was the best QB the whole time?" -- Philip Schatz, Twitter

I think it's a mix of all three. It's hard to prove yourself in a 50-50 battle when you're not on the field the whole time. It makes Richardson have to be nearly flawless in a limited sample size.

The Colts are looking for the winner of their competition to be the most consistent player, and to operate the offense the best. Jones hasn't been spotless in the spring, but he's looked pretty efficient at moving the offense.

For reference, in the practices the media watched, the Colts did two-minute drills twice, and Jones got the offense into the end zone both times. There was also a day when they worked in the red zone, and Jones had six touchdowns between 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s.

"Bonus question: I have tickets to Week 2 this year. I’ve seen Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Carson Wentz, Matty Ice, Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco play in the last few years live….how likely am I adding Danny Dimes to the list?" -- Philip Schatz, Twitter

I would say it's a pretty good chance that Jones is the Colts QB you're seeing in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. That's not to say Richardson won't play at some point this year -- Jones hasn't had the cleanest bill of health in his career either -- but Richardson getting injured again has to be worth something in this competition. Again, if Richardson looks awesome this summer or Jones looks awful, the conversation could shift.

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"With Jim Irsay passing, does Steichen feel less obligated to have a QB competition? My guess is he would like to roll with ARich" -- Northeast Finance, Twitter

I think there's more pressure to win now, for sure, so whoever the Colts feel gives them the best chance to win games is going to get the QB job. The last couple of years have been all about Richardson's development, but that's no longer the case. They'll still do what they can to develop him, but not at the risk of losing games if he isn't their best shot to win.

Everyone in the building not only has the "win for Jim" mentality, but Carlie Irsay-Gordon has a franchise to get back on the right track and will do what she needs to in order to fix things after the season if things don't go well.

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"If Anthony Richardson does miss some time and they go with Daniel Jones, do you think that will hurt the chances of Alec Pierce being retained, or will Jones' accuracy on mid-level depth routes that he's shown so far benefit Pierce to get him over the finish line in terms of his stat line for a re-sign?" -- Locked On Colts insider program

"Now that Adonai Mitchell is in his second year, is he a more likely replacement for Alec Pierce (set to be a UFA next summer) or Michael Pittman (two years left on his current contract)?" -- David Whiteley, Twitter

"What is the possibility of AD Mitchell stepping up and the Colts trading away Pittman?" -- Marcus Woods, Twitter

I do think how AD Mitchell develops this year will affect the Colts' decision-making when it comes to Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. Pierce is in a contract year and could get a huge payday next offseason, regardless of what happens this year (teams won't forget he just led the NFL in yards per catch.

Pittman has 2025 and 2026 remaining on his contract, but $0 guaranteed remaining after this year, and will count $29 million against the cap in 2026. They'll take a long, hard look at whether or not they justify paying him that much.

As for whose replacement Mitchell would be if the Colts do move on from either Pittman or Pierce, the Colts feel he could play any receiver role in their offense. However, when filling in for Pittman last year against the Buffalo Bills, that's when Mitchell had his best performance.

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"What do you think the future of GM Chris Ballard looks like IF the Colts make the postseason, but with Daniel Jones as the starter? I know we'd be speculating here, but what do you personally feel the decision on that would be?" -- Brandon Gordon, Twitter

"What would need to happen for Ballard and Steichen to keep their jobs?" -- D, Twitter

I do think the Colts making the playoffs with Jones at QB is the most interesting outcome for a couple of reasons, but it comes with a disclaimer: did Jones look good enough to remain the quarterback beyond 2025, or did he simply "get the job done?"

First, the Colts would be making the playoffs and perhaps saving their jobs. However, it would mean they likely failed the Anthony Richardson experiment, which cost a top-five draft pick. If Jones looked good enough to get a new deal from Indy, it lessens the sting, but if the Colts are still looking for quarterback solutions, I don't know if you give the same guy (Ballard) the chance to solve something he's never been able to solve.

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"Let's assume that the Colts don't make any more significant moves and that Daniel Jones is the starter at QB. Do you think the Colts make the playoffs?" -- Locked On Colts insider program

I certainly think the Colts can make the playoffs if they just get baseline adequate quarterback play from whoever it is. The roster has mostly been good enough for several years to get to about .500, but has rarely seen passable QB play throughout a season. When they did, though, they made the playoffs in 2018 with Andrew Luck and 2020 with Philip Rivers.

The Colts don't need a Luck or Rivers-level season, though. They were a converted fourth down away from winning the AFC South and making the playoffs with Gardner Minshew in 2023, and they went 8-9 last year despite the quarterback play being a huge issue most of the time.

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"Why is no one talking about Jason Bean? He did pretty well in preseason last year if I remember correctly..." -- @alexsmith3459, YouTube

For what it's worth, I like Jason Bean and think he's got some talent, but the fact that the Colts drafted Riley Leonard in the sixth round and he immediately came in and usurped Bean has to speak for something. There's a lot that goes into playing quarterback beyond physical skills, though.

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"With all of the (my) negativity around Daniel Jones, it is pretty cool to hear some of the positive stuff. Shane's comments, of course, but also the golfing stuff. Any other examples of team bonding type stuff involving Jones?" -- ‪tremltreml.bsky.social‬, Bluesky

I haven't heard any other specific examples lately, although with the offseason here, Jones will get together with some of the pass-catchers to throw in their own time, so we'll hear back from those guys when training camp gets here.

Jones' new teammates do seem to like and respect him, though. They compliment his work ethic and football knowledge quite a bit.

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"What was the point of bringing in Desmond Ridder, then not letting him have reps with the offense?" -- Colts Curmudgeon, Twitter

Steichen was asked about that at the end of minicamp, and he said they wanted to have an extra arm in camp with Richardson out.

For what it's worth, teams do a lot of recon on players for future use, both before the draft and even continuing with NFL veterans throughout the calendar. The Colts may not sign Ridder (yet), but if they feel they need another quarterback later on, they will already have decent knowledge about him and can bring him back in.

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"Now that Germaine Pratt has signed with the Raiders, do you foresee any more significant moves before the season starts?" -- Locked On Colts insider program

"I know 0 about Germaine Pratt, but are we really so comfortable with our linebacker core that we didn’t have $4 million if all conditions were met to take a swing at even a good backup?" -- HoosierTechie, Twitter

"Is there a need for major concern at the LB position? Seems like we haven't improved the group." -- Southbound Harrison, Bluesky

I don't know that the Colts will make any significant moves, but I do think we could still see a move for a recognizable player. Ridder was obviously already brought in for a tryout, but positions like interior offensive line, linebacker, and safety all would make sense to have a veteran brought in for depth.

For what it's worth, HoosierTechie and Southbound Harrison, I thought the fact that the Colts allowed Pratt to go sign elsewhere for just over $4 million was pretty telling. I personally am not as confident as they are in their linebacker group given Zaire Franklin and Jaylon Carlies' current health, but in the words of Chris Ballard (say it with me!): "We like our guys."

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"How many players do you think we add from other rosters when teams cut down to 53?" -- Kyle Winslow, Bluesky

I could see the Colts adding two or three through waivers during cutdowns. I mentioned earlier that the interior offensive line, linebacker, and safety are all positions that could use more proven depth. Keep an eye on defensive tackle as well, as a position the Colts could be dissatisfied with. Neville Gallimore will probably be fine, but will they like what they see enough from Tim Smith, Adetomiwa Adebawore, and Eric Johnson, without adding anyone else?

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"Ignoring QB at this point, given that it is not settled, how would you rate the offense supporting cast as it stands compared to prior years, and also against the AFC South?" -- MGLP, Bluesky

I think the Colts have a good argument for the first or second-best offensive group outside of quarterback in the division. The offensive line is undergoing a couple of changes, but the newbies got plenty of playing time last year and looked good doing it. The receivers are a well-rounded group, and if Mitchell progresses at all, it's even better. Tyler Warren should be impactful right away. We also know Jonathan Taylor is still a stud, and is now flanked by two upgrades in Khalil Herbert and DJ Giddens.

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"What is your prediction for the Irsays' first difficult decision, and how do you think it will play out?" -- Peetie Peete, Twitter

I'm sure there have already been things behind the scenes they've had to address that the public wouldn't normally know about, but as far as outward-facing issues, I think this is clearly an evaluation year for whether or not the team needs to rebuild in 2026. When you've had the same GM in place for going on nine years with very few results, it's a fair question.

It could be as simple as evaluating if they need to replace Ballard and/or Steichen, or it could go as far as hitting the detonator and starting over.

The Colts have very little guaranteed money remaining on their roster after this season, making it easier to part with expensive players, and have some other tradable players. Going into the 2026 offseason looking for a new GM and head coach while having a ton of cap space and perhaps ample draft capital could set them up for a fresh start.

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"Who’s likely to get more run at RB2: Khalil Herbert or DJ Giddens?" -- PierceHive, Twitter

The Colts like Giddens a lot, and from my understanding, he's done very well in the spring. Herbert is a good player who offers versatility and playmaking, but I do think at some point we begin to see Giddens as the next player up when Taylor goes off the field.

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"Maybe I’m missing something, but why are we so excited about our new D coordinator, whose defense last year was trash, even with a 17.5-sack guy?" -- Dan Watts, Twitter

I think that's a fair question. It's more about what Lou Anarumo has done throughout his career when he's been given resources. It's no mistake that the Bengals got to the Super Bowl early in his tenure when they gave him players to work with. However, look at how that team operates and how it tends to alienate players. I've heard on multiple occasions that Anarumo was not set up to succeed as the years went on in Cincinnati.

The Colts, meanwhile, have done some good things for the defense, such as adding Charvarius Ward, Camryn Bynum, JT Tuimoloau, and Gallimore. There are still a couple of moves they could've made, but Anarumo has players now that can make his defense the versatile one he wants to put together.

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"Is Camryn Bynum that much better than Julian Blackmon?" -- Papi19, Twitter

It's not necesarily an apples to apples comparision. Camryn Bynum is a free safety, and Julian Blackmon is better at strong safety. It's more about the scheme fit than it is about being a better player. Bynum has also been much healthier in his career than Blackmon.

Blackmon, when healthy, is an excellent player as a strong safety specifically in a defense like Gus Bradley's where he can be closer to the ball and the line of scrimmage. However, what Anarumo's defense asks of the free safety, Bynum has shown to be an excellent fit, with his instincts, tracking, playmaking ability, and versatility.

Both players healthy, being put in the best position to succeed, are about at an equal level as players.

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"What was the first unit on both sides in minicamp? Obviously, defense will be a mix, but who got first call?" -- Zack_Bruce_, Twitter

Alright, I'll throw heavy disclaimers at this one. First, there were players who missed time due to injuries, which affected the lineups. There is also a ton of rotation this time of year while coaches learn more about which players can do what, and there are ongoing competitions. These lineups are far from firm, especially considering the different roles guys play. However, here is what seemed to be the most consistent lineups:

OFFENSE
QB: Daniel Jones
RB: Jonathan Taylor
WR: Michael Pittman Jr.
WR: Alec Pierce
SLOT: Josh Downs
TE: Tyler Warren
LT: Bernhard Raimann
LG: Quenton Nelson
C: Tanor Bortolini
RG: Matt Goncalves
RT: Braden Smith

DEFENSE
DE: Laiatu Latu
DT: DeForest Buckner
DT: Grover Stewart
DE: Kwity Paye
LB: Cameron McGrone
LB: Joe Bachie
CB: Charvarius Ward
CB: JuJu Brents/Justin Walley
SLOT: Kenny Moore II
FS: Camyn Bynum
SS: Nick Cross

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"A lot of focus on the offensive players this OTA. How did J.T. Tuimoloau perform? Any late-pick rookies make any waves?" -- Max, Twitter

Truthfully, there wasn't much to take from the lines in this setting. They don't have pads on, and they're not truly playing live. I didn't notice many standouts from either line, but it's really too early for us to make any proclamations about them. For what it's worth, Tuimoloau did get a ton of run with the second-team defense.

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