As the Indianapolis Colts have been hard at work during training camp, all eyes are on both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones; the quarterback battle has been one of the most hyped stories in the NFL throughout the offseason.
Thanks to a poorly-timed shoulder injury that sidelined Richardson, it looked like Jones had the job in the bag, but once training camp actually began, Richardson made it clear that he wasn't going down without a fight.
To virtually everyone's surprise, Richardson performed better than expected during training camp, considering he didn't get the chance to practice at all over the summer, with Jones getting all the reps during his recovery. Still, neither QB has yet pulled ahead, with the question of who will be the Week 1 starter still up in the air.
The Indianapolis Colts' quarterback depth chart is a bit of a mess
The Colts' indecision at their most key position is even clearer, with the release of their first unofficial depth chart, with neither quarterback being listed as QB1. Instead, the depth chart reads "Daniel Jones OR Anthony Richardson, Sr."
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2025
This is a concerning development, of course; by now, there should be some indication as to who is the likely QB1. Jones and Richardson are two drastically different athletes, and the offense can't possibly begin to gel without being able to prepare for who will be leading it. Yet as per usual, head coach Shane Steichen was incredibly vague.
“Both have been doing a really good job,” he said. “Both of them have made plays at a high level the last couple days, and that's what you want to see. You want to see growth, you want to see completions, you want to see the offense moving up and down the field.”
Fans have been told over and over again that both players are doing a good job. At some point, though, the Colts are going to have to make a decision. Yet even more disturbingly, Steichen has announced his plans for the preseason... and apparently, he wants to just keep on the way he has been, swapping each quarterback out week by week.
"They'll play a good amount," he said. "One will play a good amount this game and the next one will probably play a good amount in the next game."
And for the upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens, evidently, both QBs will be on the field. “Both are going to play in this game,” Steichen said Sunday. “I haven't had a chance to talk to them about who's starting, but I'll address that with them tonight. I want them to hear it from me first before they hear through the media.”
Look, everyone is more than aware that neither Richardson nor Jones is going to magically turn into the next Patrick Mahomes this season. In all likelihood, unless Richardson has an insane comeback season, the Colts will be shopping for a new quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Indianapolis still has to get through 2025 first, and at some point, Steichen is going to have to actually make the hard decision and name a starting QB. This back-and-forth continuing on through preseason is, quite frankly, insane. It's ridiculous to expect the rest of the offense not to know who will be calling the snaps until Week 1. Frankly, it's a recipe for disaster.
But then, given this team's track record lately, what else could fans expect?