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The Indianapolis Colts are hosting one of the few quarterback battles in the NFL this preseason, and with the season opener vs. the Miami Dolphins just three weeks away, time is ticking on the Colts to make a decision.
Indy held its final training camp practice on Thursday, but coach Shane Steichen is still not ready to name Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones his QB1.
“We’ll work through that,” Steichen said, via the Colts’ official website. “We had today, we got a preseason game (Saturday), we have some practices next week and we’ll work through that. I don’t have an exact timetable on it, but sooner rather than later would be nice.”
It’s probably fair to say that neither Richardson nor Jones have been able to do enough to emerge as the clear-cut starter, but it’s also been a complicated competition. A shoulder injury sidelined Richardson in minicamp, and then he was knocked out of Indy’s preseason matchup vs. the Baltimore Ravens on the second drive of the game after dislocating his right pinky finger while taking a sack. Jones replaced him and completed 10 of 21 passes for 144 yards.
Richardson’s athleticism and physical gifts are understood at this point, but there’s a reason why the Colts went out and and gave Jones $14 million this offseason. Despite being jettisoned from New York after six up-and-down seasons, he may be a more consistent presence under center for Steichen.
It’s Jones who will get the start vs. the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, and he has a chance to become the frontrunner in this battle with a good performance.
“I want to see how this thing plays out on Saturday,” Steichen said, “and we’ll see early into next week and see where it goes.”