The Indianapolis Colts will have a starting quarterback competition in training camp, with former first-round pick Anthony Richardson tasked with competing free-agent signing Daniel Jones. While Richardson would seemingly be the favorite, some around the league think things could play out very differently.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is trying to turn his career around. He’s played just 15 total games in two seasons, suffering a myriad of injuries, and posting one of the worst completion rates (50.6 percent) and quarterback rating (67.9) for a first-round quarterback through two seasons.
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- Daniel Jones stats 2024 (ESPN): 2,070 pass yards, 8-7 TD-INT, 63.3% completion rate, 79.4 QB rating
Following his struggles last season in 11 games – 47.7% completion rate, 8-12 TD-INT and 61.6 QB rating – Indianapolis wanted to bring in competition for him this summer. The Colts came out on top of a bidding war with the Minnesota Vikings for Jones.
Indianapolis and Minnesota both envisioned Jones not only competing for the starting job in 2025 but potentially being a reclamation project like Sam Darnold was. While no one inside the league expects Jones to suddenly become a Pro Bowl quarterback, there is some belief that he has found a spot where he can succeed.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to NFL executives and coaches about who could be the next Darnold, becoming the league’s ‘rags-to-riches’ success story at the quarterback position. Jones was mentioned repeatedly, with multiple people inside the league highlighting why he could be successful in his new spot.
“This is a perfect match. 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.”
Anonymous NFL coach on how Daniel Jones fits with the Indianapolis Colts
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- Daniel Jones career stats: 24-44-1 record, 64.1% completion rate, 70-47 TD-INT, 74.3 QB rating, 14,582 passing yards, 2,179 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns
The sentiment among evaluators Sando spoke to is that Jones’ ceiling is a ‘tier 3 quarterback’, someone who can be a “legitimate starter” with the assistance of a strong run game. It also requires a lower volume of pass attempts, but Jones has never been an effective high-volume passer to begin with.
The same coach also expressed his belief that the new environment, away from the New York Giants’ spectacle, would make Jones more comfortable and allow him to focus more on football.
“This will be the freest Daniel Jones that we have ever seen. Expectations are off. The media market is totally different.”
Anonymous coach on why the change of enviroment will benefit Daniel Jones
Colts head coach Shane Steichen maximized Gardner Minshew in 2023 (84.6 QB rating and 15-9 TD-INT ratio) and Joe Flacco had some success with Indianapolis last season. Jones will be supported by a strong run game eld by Jonathan Taylor and the Colts’ receiving corps excels at creating early separation to offer quick throwing windows.
It’s the best situation for him where he would realistically have a shot to be the starting quarterback. If he can’t beat out Richardson and later struggles whenever he sees the field, he’ll likely be a career backup moving forward.
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