A head coach has to have trust in their players, of course. Sometimes that trust appears mislaid, such as with Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Daniel Jones, but breaking the bond willingly can be difficult.
Steichen doesn't want to change quarterbacks because he has "a lot of faith" in Jones, though Jones' on-field play doesn't indicate why the head coach believes in him so much. Maybe this boils down to how one handles themselves away from football. Jones likely isn't going to be charged with marijuana possession, for instance, but backup QB Anthony Richardson recently was.
While unlikely, that could lead to a suspension of up to three games for Richardson. Why replace the struggling Jones with Richardson when there is at least a chance that Richardson might be temporarily banned?
Shane Steichen appears set on not changing quarterbacks with the Indianapolis Colts
This could also be about choices. Richardson allegedly chose to do something illegal in his team's state of Indiana during the season, a day after the Colts played a game in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. This isn't a judgment on Richardson's alleged decision, but Shane Steichen might see things differently, though he might never admit to that.
The truth is, something is causing Steichen not to appear to even ponder the idea of replacing Jones even though the coach's job is on the line. Does he truly believe in the quarterback so much that it could get him fired? Is he unable to take a step back and view the situation as a whole?
Jones has been awful through seven games this season. Maybe Richardson would be no better, but one wouldn't know that unless they give Richardson a chance to play in a real game. Not practice, but a game for the first time since 2024.
There is no harm in making a change. Who cares if there is a quarterback controversy in Indianapolis? Most likely, the players and coaches involved in the controversy will be gone after this season (if not before). The team needs wins, and Daniel Jones isn't leading the team to those wins.
Jones has four touchdown passes but seven interceptions. In his last four games, he has one TD and four picks. He should have had more than one interception in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings. He could have easily had three.
But Shane Steichen made it clear after the game that he isn't changing quarterbacks. Daniel Jones is his guy. There is an in-built trust, and after Anthony Richardson's seemingly poor off-field incident in October, Steichen might have even less faith in Richardson's decision-making.
Either that, or Steichen simply isn't capable of making a decision that must be made, which is replacing Jones with either Richardson or Riley Leonard.
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