The Indianapolis Colts have yet to get the sort of production out of Anthony Richardson that they were expecting when they spent the fourth overall pick on him in the 2023 NFL Draft. Richardson showed potential as a rookie in 2023 but missed all but four games after suffering a shoulder injury.
Fans were looking forward to seeing what Richardson could do in Year 2 but it was a very up-and-down season for the former Florida Gator. Richardson started 11 total games and at times, looked like he could complete the craziest pass in the league. At other times, he looked like a bust.
The latter part of that sentence is why the Colts had to bring in competition for Richardson and they did that by signing Daniel Jones in free agency. Naturally, it's hard not to laugh at the thought of Jones being competition for anyone considering how poorly his Giants stint went but there are people who think this is a great addition for Indy.
Mike Sando of The Athletic talked about one of those people who likes the Colts signing Jones, noting in a recent column that an unnamed offensive coach in the NFL thought it was 'a perfect match'. From Sando's column:
“They do not have to change game plans for him because that guy (Jones) can do some of what (Anthony) Richardson can do running around. That is how Jones had his best year in New York anyway.”
Daniel Jones considered 'perfect match' for Colts, which could be bad news for Anthony Richardson
Jones' best year (and to this point, his only good year) came in 2022 when he helped get the Giants to the playoffs and win a postseason game. Jones wasn't the whole reason the Giants were successful that year but his performance helped land him that ridiculous contract the G-Men's front office gave him and we all know how that turned out.
That being said, there is evidence that Jones can do enough for the team to win games and make it into the playoffs. The Colts are very much a team that can win in spite of their quarterback's performance. When Gardner Minshew was their starter in 2023 because of Richardson's injury, they nearly made the postseason despite Minshew's tendency to throw picks at the worst possible time.
If Jones can just be average, the Colts could snag the winnable AFC South. That being said, it would mean that Richardson is officially not the guy and that the Colts will have a decision to make at the sport's most important position once again and that would be a frustrating blow to this team and the fanbase.