INDIANAPOLIS — Daniel Jones is getting his second chance.
A new lease on his NFL life, an opportunity to prove that he’s more like the promising young quarterback who led the Giants to the playoffs than the player who collapsed under the weight of New York’s organizational shortcomings the past two seasons.
Jones has won the starting quarterback job in Indianapolis, a source confirmed to IndyStar, in a surprising move that casts further doubt on Anthony Richardson’s ability to develop into the franchise quarterback the Colts envisioned when they selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones will be the 12th quarterback to start a game for the Colts since 2018.
“I just tried to show up every day and improve, grow in my understanding of the offense, and make good decisions consistently,” Jones said. “I think that’s been something I’ve always tried to do and will continue to work on. But I think consistent decision-making and throwing the ball accurately, I think that’s a huge part of playing the position.”
Consistency is what the Colts were trying to find this offseason.
Forced to reckon with two seasons of inaccuracy, injury and inconsistency in preparation from Richardson, Indianapolis decided to bring in real competition for the starting quarterback job this offseason, the kind of competition Richardson hadn’t faced in his first two years in the NFL.
Drafting Richardson was supposed to end the revolving door of veteran quarterbacks who had com through Indianapolis in the wake of Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement in 2019 — Carson Wentz leads the Colts in quarterback starts since 2018 at 17, next fewest is Taylor Heinicke’s 24 for Washington — but the Colts took a big risk by drafting a 20-year-old with only one year of starting experience in college, and Richardson hasn’t developed the way Indianapolis initially envisioned.
A sprained AC joint and a season-ending shoulder surgery cut short a promising start to Richardson’s rookie season, and after a hip/oblique injury cost Richardson two games early last year, he started to spiral, culminating in a difficult loss to Houston punctuated by a 2-of-15 first half for Richardson and a controversial decision to tap out of a key third down in the second half due to fatigue.
Steichen ultimately decided to bench Richardson, a move the head coach believed was necessary for his young quarterback to improve his preparation and attention to detail.
“He was drowning,” Ballard said after the season. “The poise – because I think he plays with really good poise most of the time, but you didn’t, I didn’t feel the same as we went along. Then the Houston game, I didn’t feel the same poise that I was feeling and that meant, in my mind one, mentally, it was really going fast for him and he needed to take a bit of a step back.”
Richardson was put back into the starting lineup after veteran Joe Flacco floundered for two games, and although there were still some low moments, Richardson’s play improved.
Until an issue with a disc in his back cost Richardson the final two games of the season. Overwhelmed by Richardson’s inaccuracy, inconsistency and ongoing injury issues, Ballard announced at the start of the offseason that the team would bring in real competition for the quarterback.
Jones ended up being the best option available for Indianapolis, a team that couldn’t offer its starting job outright to potential quarterback suitors because of its ongoing commitment to Richardson.
“You’ve got two first round draft picks, and when they both came in, I made it very clear that this is going to be a battle, and they’re going to compete for the job,” Steichen said. “And like I said, I’m going to make the decision I feel is best for the football team.”
Drafted with the No. 6 pick of the 2019 NFL draft, Jones eventually led the Giants to the playoffs in 2022, prompting New York to sign him to a four-year, $160 million extension, a deal that lasted only a year and a half due to a torn ACL in 2023 and a disheartening opening to the 2024 season. Demoted midway through the season, Jones asked for his release, and he spent the final half of the season with the Minnesota Vikings, who wanted to bring back Jones as competition for their own first-round quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, this offseason.
Indianapolis had to up the ante to get Jones, believing there is more to his game than he was able to show with a thin Giants roster.
“He’s a good dude, a really good guy. Centered,” Ballard said this offseason. “He’s been through a lot. Being in New York, and the scrutiny on being a top-10 pick is not for everybody, but I thought he handled it with grace and class, like you would expect. And that’s who he is. And Daniel is talented.”
Richardson seemed like the favorite. Unlike Jones, a reluctant downfield thrower who has a career average of just 6.5 yards per attempt, Richardson has already proven he can produce the explosive plays Steichen craves in his offense.
But Richardson was forced to shut down the final two weeks of the offseason due to aggravation in his throwing shoulder, and he was knocked out of the preseason opener after dislocating the pinkiie finger on his throwing hand. In addition, he continued to be up and down in training camp, completing 59.1% of his passes in training camp, according to unofficial numbers compiled by IndyStar, a number that trails behind his 61.1% at Grand Park in 2024.
Jones completed 68.8% of his passes in training camp — although he failed to establish an ability to push the ball downfield — and demonstrated his credentials as a consummate NFL quarterback with the reliability the Colts craved.
“I think it’s everything, right?” Steichen said. “The operation, the communication in the huddle, the checks, getting guys on the same page. The consistency of all that, obviously, is going to play a big factor in this.”
Steichen believes the consistency of Jones is a better play than the upside of Richardson.
A Colts team desperate to get back to the playoffs now has to hope that he’s right.
Nate Atkins and Joel A. Erickson cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.