Richardson works with Colts starters as Jones returns

Richardson takes – Anthony Richardson took snaps with the Colts starters at Wednesday practice while Daniel Jones kept to positional-group work. Jones is recovering from a broken bone in his left leg and a torn right Achilles tendon, with the opener against Baltimore on Sept. 13

When Anthony Richardson stepped onto the practice field and started taking snaps with the Indianapolis Colts starters, it brought a rare sense of steadiness to a quarterback situation that has been anything but stable.

Wednesday’s contrast was immediate: Richardson worked with the first group while Daniel Jones stayed with the positional-group stuff. It isn’t necessarily the ideal pairing the Colts want heading into the Sept. 13 season opener. but just seeing Richardson and Jones under the same lights underscored how much the club needs clarity at a spot that’s been hit repeatedly by injuries and uncertainty.

Colts coach Steve Steichen made the competition plain. “Him (Richardson) and Riley will compete,” Steichen said after workouts. “We’ll flip the reps every other day. I mean, they get the same reps with the ones and the twos every day through OTAs. it’s 50/50. They’re competing just like everyone’s competing. We’ve got certain guys competing at certain spots and that’s one of the positions they are competing at.”.

Jones is the clear-cut starter this year, with Richardson now battling Riley Leonard for the No. 2 job. That’s a sharp turn from 12 months ago, when both first-round draft picks—selected by the Colts—were competing for the top spot.

Jones knows the discomfort of being forced to rebuild expectations. Drafted by the New York Giants No. 6 overall in 2019, the former Duke star arrived as the franchise solution. In his fourth season, Jones led New York to the playoffs and was rewarded with a big contract. Two years later, he was benched, then asked for his release. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings and eventually landed in Indianapolis last season.

This offseason, the Colts are taking a cautious approach with their biggest investment. Jones is recovering from a broken bone in his left leg and a torn right Achilles tendon—injuries that derailed his season. He re-signed with Indy in March on a two-year deal worth $88 million. with the chance to push the total to as much as $100 million if he stays healthy and plays at last season’s level.

Jones started throwing before the draft. but Wednesday was the first time reporters saw him on a field since he suffered the Achilles tendon injury Dec. 7 at Jacksonville. His focus, he said, is on healing the right way. “I think you’ve got to be realistic and understand the body’s got to heal. ” Jones said. still hopeful of playing in Week 1 against Baltimore. “There’s a process to it. And you try to focus on kind of what the next goal is and understand what the long-term goal is. but you focus on the more immediate short-term next milestone that you’re trying to accomplish.”.

For the Colts, the question isn’t just when Jones can return—it’s whether Richardson will still be part of the roster when it matters most.

Richardson’s own path to this point has been rough. He appeared in just four games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury. completed 47.7% of his throws in Year 2. and lost the starting job to Jones last year. Then Richardson fractured an orbital bone in a freak pregame stretching incident and never took another snap.

In late May, Richardson wasn’t even expected to be on the field at all. In February, Indianapolis gave Richardson and his agent permission to find a trade partner. So far, nothing has materialized, and after skipping the first round of Colts workouts, Richardson returned.

He now seems comfortable with whatever happens in Indy, and he’s not treating the trade chatter like a distraction. “I signed a contract, so I’m still on this team regardless of the trade stuff,” he said. “I’ve got an obligation to this team to come out here and play and perform and be ready to play if they need me. I don’t think it’s weird or awkward. I’m not really focused on (the trade) right now. I’m here. I’m just trying to make sure I’m staying healthy and keeping everything up there in the mind sharp.”.

The Colts also chose not to exercise the fifth-year extension on Richardson’s rookie contract, drafted No. 4 overall in 2023.

With Jones still working through his return, Steichen offered a glimpse at the timeline. “Next week, I might get him into some seven on seven,” Steichen said. “We’ll look into that, and see how this week goes, but he’s doing really good.”

Richardson, though, sounded more cautious about where things stand. “Right now he’s here,” Steichen said. “Obviously, he hasn’t rescinded the trade, but he’s engaged, he’s in the meetings and he’s competing for a job.”

For Indianapolis, that is the delicate equation beneath Wednesday’s practice: Jones’ health, Richardson’s availability, and the outcome of a No. 2 quarterback battle that the Colts insist will be fought openly—whether or not the trade talks ever fully fade.

Indianapolis Colts Anthony Richardson Daniel Jones Riley Leonard Steve Steichen NFL quarterback competition OTAs Week 1 vs Baltimore Achilles tendon injury orbital bone fracture trade talks