The Indianapolis Colts do not open camp until July 23rd, but that does not mean we won’t get started on the previews for training camp in 2025. This series will go position by position and look at a potential camp battle that the franchise will be watching. Let’s begin with the one battle the entire league will be watching.
Starting Quarterback Battle
Anthony Richardson (Incumbent) vs Daniel Jones
Why not start with what will undoubtedly be, the most publicized and critiqued battle in all of Colts camp? Incumbent Anthony Richardson will try to keep his starting job against newcomer and former Giants 1st round pick Daniel Jones.
On paper, this should be Anthony Richardson's, but we all know that won’t be the case. In fact, Richardson already threw a wrench by missing all mandatory minicamp. The AC joint injury that kept Richardson out for nearly his entire rookie season flared up again. What appeared to be a huge setback was tempered with a diagnosis of rest and not throwing. While that was the best-case scenario for the injury, it was still another setback to the much-maligned Colts quarterback.
The Case For Richardson
The case for Richardson is simple. He is the only quarterback that has been on the roster since Shane Steichen took over. He was hand-picked by Steichen and this coaching staff to not only be the quarterback of the future but, more importantly, the face of the franchise. He has yet to live up to those expectations. Richardson has had some reported work ethic issues, and struggled with his mechanics and staying healthy.
Richardson has played 15 complete games with a record of 8-7, and has shown some real flashes of talent, both on the ground and in the air. He can throw the deep ball well, and is terrific in short yardage packages. The Jets game last season, where he ran the 2-minute offense effectively, was arguably the highlight of his season. Yes, it was the Jets, but a young quarterback needs to get that confidence in chunks.
Going into Year 3, this is meant to be his team now. The only way to truly find that out is to put him in the game and let him sink or swim. It’s the only way to find out - but to do that, he must stay healthy. If he can do that, it’s all on the coaching staff and his abilities.
The Case For Jones
No matter what you believe about the talent of Daniel Jones, this is the best team he has been part of in his career. Like Richardson early on in his career, Jones struggled out of the gate to find his footing with the New York Giants. They could not move the ball down the field, and he took a beating from a weak offensive line. He did have Saquon Barkley running the ball, but not much more than that. His best receivers were arguably Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton.
The stakes could not be higher for Jones this season. He chose the Colts over a return to Minnesota and others. He chose to battle Richardson this season, and he chose to work with this Colts coaching staff. His talents are suited for the offense that Steichen wants to run, and the roster around him is the best he has ever seen. They have talent at all the skill positions on offense now, and it’s about executing and finding ways to win more football games.
Official Prediction
The greatest question now becomes who has the upper hand in this competition as we head into training camp. At this very moment, the answer is simple: it’s Daniel Jones. This can change, obviously, but as they say, the best ability is availability. Richardson continues to miss precious reps and time under center in the offseason. With coaching staff on the hot seat, they must win now, and being able to stay competitive and find ways to win games should be the sole focus of the franchise. Training camp will be the true competition, but if Jones wins this job, then Richardson is done, and the only way to survive is a playoff berth.