The Indianapolis Colts started training camp last week, and despite all expectations, Anthony Richardson somehow surged ahead in the team's quarterback competition. This week, training camp continued, with the team now practicing in pads... and somehow, Richardson looked even better than he did last week.
Richardson had a perfect day, and while Jones did well too, he hasn't done enough yet to overtake Richardson, who completed 6 of 6 throws in 11-on-11 work and 4 of 4 in 7-on-7. And if that weren't enough, he showed why so many people keep rooting for him - running across the field to give Jones a high-five after he scored a big play, after already giving congratulations to Ashton Dulin and DJ Giddens. It's well known that Richardson is, to put it mildly, beloved by his teammates, who came out swinging in his defense last season, and behavior like this is likely why.
Now, analysts are predicting that Richardson already has the job locked up. At ESPN, Dan Graziano gave predictions for the winner in each team's quarterback battle, and Richardson is his prediction for the Colts.
"I know Jones appears to have taken over the No. 1 spot on the depth chart after Richardson's spring injury, but training camp is where Richardson looks the best -- if he's healthy, he's likely to outperform Jones on the practice field.Dan Graziano
The Colts also have a lot more invested in Richardson, and if it's a close competition, most people I talk to believe that will tilt things in his favor -- at least to start the season. Whether he can stay healthy enough or play well enough to hold the job is another matter entirely."
It's still early, of course, and Richardson still has to prove that he's truly made long-term improvements. But despite that, it's important to remember that when it comes down to it, as muchg as Jones may have gained a lead over the summer, it's not Jones' job to lose... it's his to win.
Jones didn't have a stellar career on his own before coming to Indianapolis, and as Graziano pointed out, the Colts have a lot invested in Richardson. If they're both doing reasonably well during training camp, with neither one doing significantly better than the other, then it stands to reason that Richardson would be the winner. Jones will have to do much more than be as good as AR5 to win; he's got to advance so far past him, that he leaves him in the dust. And so far? That's just not happening.