The Indianapolis Colts are turning to free-agent acquisition Daniel Jones over fellow former first-round pick Anthony Richardson as the team’s starting quarterback.

“He’s our starting quarterback for the season,” head coach Shane Steichen said Tuesday. “I feel confident in his abilities.”

Signed to a one-year, $14 million contract in the offseason, Jones joined the Colts to take part in an open competition for the job.

“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 Saturday after Indianapolis’ preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. “And like I said, I’m going to make the decision I feel is best for the football team.”

It’s a second chance at an NFL starting job for Jones, one that puts Richardson’s future with the Colts in question.

Jones, 28, was the No. 6 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. He suffered a season-ending ACL tear in 2023 but returned in time to start the 2024 season as the team’s No. 1 quarterback.

He was benched after a 2-8 start to the season by New York and was replaced by Tommy DeVito, prompting Jones to request to be released from the Giants last November before signing with the Minnesota Vikings and was assigned to the practice squad. He did not play in any games with the Vikings, who planned to have J.J. McCarthy under center to start the 2025 season.

Jones has 14,582 passing yards, 70 touchdown passes and 47 interceptions in 70 career games (69 starts). He has 2,179 rushing yards with 15 TDs. His record as the Giants’ starter was 24-44-1.

Richardson, 23, has struggled with both injuries and with inaccurate passing since being selected by the Colts with the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.

For his career, Richardson has completed 50.6 percent of his passes for 2,391 yards and 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 15 games. He has also been sacked 21 times and committed 12 fumbles.

Richardson has been limited to 15 starts over his first two NFL seasons due to a myriad of injuries, including to his shoulder, oblique, foot, back and finger, as well as a concussion.

The Colts open the 2025 season Sept. 7 against the visiting Miami Dolphins.

–Field Level Media

Anthony Richardson’s poor injury luck continued Thursday night when the quarterback left the first quarter of the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens.

Richardson got the start over offseason acquisition Daniel Jones and suffered a finger injury on his right (throwing) hand on his second drive under center.

He was sacked by David Ojabo for an eight-yard loss midway through the first quarter, and replay showed his pinkie finger was bent at an awkward angle. Richardson immediately came out of the game, replaced by Jones.

In his brief appearance Thursday, Richardson completed 2 of 3 passes for 21 yards.

Richardson is battling to keep his starting job after making 11 starts in 2024 and briefly being benched for Joe Flacco.

As a rookie in 2023, Richardson suffered an AC joint sprain in his fourth career start and soon underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. He missed two games with an oblique injury as well as two more due to back spasms last season and missed mandatory minicamp with a shoulder injury this summer.

–Field Level Media

Despite a recent injury scare surrounding his right (throwing) shoulder, quarterback Anthony Richardson is expected to be healthy for Indianapolis Colts training camp, NFL Network reported Friday.

The third-year signal-caller aggravated the AC joint in his right shoulder and was held out of team minicamp this week. That shoulder is the same one he had AC joint surgery on in 2023.

A second opinion on this latest setback confirmed that surgery wouldn’t be necessary. Moreover, the timetable for his return looks more optimistic than previously suggested.

In an interview a week ago, head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson would return “at some point” in training camp.

“Doctors, trainers checked it out,” Steichen said. “He’s got some aggravation in his AC joint … We’ll see when he comes back. Not gonna put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing, and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is he’s not gonna need a procedure right now.”

Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is expected to battle former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job this season.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating, but he is in good spirits,” Steichen said. “So, we’re working through it right now.”

Richardson, 23, enters his third season with 15 starts under his belt (8-7 record), a 50.6 completion percentage, 11 touchdown passes, 10 rushing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 12 fumbles (four lost).

He completed 47.7 percent of his passes in 2024, historically bad from an accuracy perspective and easily the worst among NFL starters. He had 10 or fewer completions in six of the 11 games he appeared in last season.

Jones, 28, has appeared in 70 games (69 starts) over six seasons in New York. He is a career 64.1 percent passer with 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He also has 15 touchdowns rushing and has suffered 50 career fumbles.

–Field Level Media

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson aggravated the AC joint in his right shoulder and will not participate in next week’s minicamp, head coach Shane Steichen announced Thursday.

Richardson reported soreness and will rest his ailing shoulder, the same one that required AC joint surgery in 2023.

Surgery is not anticipated this time around, per Steichen, who said the plan is for Richardson to return “at some point” in training camp.

“Doctors, trainers checked it out,” Steichen explained. “He’s got some aggravation in his AC joint. So we’re gonna sit him out this week. Obviously, he’ll sit out for minicamp. We’ll see when he comes back. Not gonna put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing, and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is he’s not gonna need a procedure right now.”

Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, is expected to battle Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job this season.

“Obviously, it’s frustrating, but he is in good spirits,” Steichen said. “So we’re working through it right now.”

Richardson, 23, enters his third season with 15 starts under his belt (8-7 record), a 50.6 completion percentage, 11 touchdown passes, 10 rushing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and 12 fumbles (four lost).

He completed 47.7 percent of his passes in 2024, historically bad from an accuracy perspective and easily the worst among NFL starters. He had 10 or fewer completions in six of the 11 games he appeared in last season.

–Field Level Media