Which Colts starters will play in the preseason finale against the Eagles?

The preseason will come to an end on Thursday for the Indianapolis Colts after they face off against the Philadelphia Eagles. Indy is currently 1-1 in the 2023 preseason, with a loss to the Buffalo Bills and a win against the Chicago Bears. However, wins and losses aren’t that important in the preseason, it’s about players developing and getting up to speed for the regular season.

That's why many people were surprised to see that the Colts didn’t play their starters against the Chicago Bears. Indianapolis hosted the Bears for two competitive joint practices, so both teams felt playing the starters wasn’t necessary. However, with so much emphasis on rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson’s lack of experience, people were confused that Indy didn’t use the opportunity to get him some reps.

Now the Colts are preparing for their final preseason game of 2023. Indy has already been in Philadelphia, and had a feisty joint practice with the Eagles. Now, everyone is wondering if we’ll see the starters in Thursday’s game, specifically Anthony Richardson.

Fortunately, head coach Shane Steichen has already announced that Richardson will start the game, and other starters’ playing time will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Anthony Richardson will start Colts preseason finale against Eagles

Richardson has only taken snaps in one preseason game, and that was Indy’s first game of the year against the Buffalo Bills. In three series, Anthony Richardson completed 7-of-12 passes for 67 yards and had one interception. He also added seven rushing yards. Following that game, Steichen officially named Richardson the starter.

Now that the keys have officially been handed to Richardson, he’ll have one last chance to see NFL game action before he’s on the field in a real game in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the interest of Richardson, it’s fair to assume that the Colts will play the rest of the starting offense with him.

Defensively, however, it’s unclear who’ll play and for how long. Steichen and the Colts haven’t been making preseason playing-time plans clear before the game, so we’ll have to wait until game time on Thursday to see who’s all active.

READ MORE