Did the Indianapolis Colts make the correct decision by choosing Daniel Jones as the starter at quarterback this season instead of Anthony Richardson? Fans won't know until well into the season whether the gamble has worked.
There are a lot of facets to this. One is that Jones might give the Colts a better chance to win, but even that is far short of being guaranteed. Jones wasn't exactly successful for the New York Giants in six seasons.
Another issue is that the Indy veterans have gotten used to having Richardson in the locker room and not Jones. Some players, whether they state it publicly or not, might feel put off by the fact that a newbie who has failed in a previous stop is suddenly handed the keys to the throne.
Zaire Franklin echoes what the locker room thinks about the Indianapolis Colts quarterback controversy
This is especially true as Danny Dimes has certainly not obviously outplayed AR5 in training camp and the preseason. Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard choosing to go with a free agent acquisition over a top-4 draft pick from 2023 is slightly odd.
It might be up to the leaders in the Colts locker room to make sure the team doesn't crumble. If Daniel Jones begins the season and the offense struggles, fans and players might be asking for a change of quarterback. Anthony Richardson might not be a good answer to replace Jones, but he is at least a different QB.
One of those veteran leaders for Indianapolis is linebacker Zaire Franklin. After practice this week, Franklin was asked what he thought of the team's quarterback drama, and he gave a clear, concise, and correct answer.
Franklin said, "Honestly, just from my point of view and seeing the locker room, I feel like a lot of this team is ready to go. I think we believe a lot in ourselves and who we are as a team, and we just trusted Shane to make a decision...to (who) was gonna put us in the best position to win. But that's not to say that I absolutely do not believe in Anthony...But every situation's just an opportunity for growth, so he's gotta use it."
Zaire Franklin on the #Colts QB decision: pic.twitter.com/D9FnUmXHAg
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) August 20, 2025
One could easily mince words with what Franklin said, but he likely did not mean that to be his intent. The use of the word "absolutely" when talking about his belief in Richardson could imply that the linebacker's belief in the quarterback has wavered. Maybe the players believe in Jones more than AR5.
Of course, this might all be meaningless if one of two things happen. Daniel Jones could be terrific for the Indianapolis Colts this season and there would be no further quarterback drama. Or he could cause the offense to struggle and the team to not meet expectations. In that case, Zaire Franklin will need to talk his teammates back into believing in Anthony Richardson.