Report: Jones wins starting QB job for Colts

INDIANAPOLIS - Daniel Jones will lead the Indianapolis Colts into the 2025 season.




That's according to multiple reports, including one from NFL's Network's Tom Pelissero. Head coach Shane Steichen was expected to make the formal announcement during a Tuesday morning media availability.




The decision brings an end to an open quarterback competition between Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. that has dominated the Indianapolis Colts' universe since March.




General manager Chris Ballard said following Richardson's second consecutive season plagued by injuries and inconsistency he would bring in a veteran to challenge the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft. That proved to be Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 who was discarded by the New York Giants.




The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract in March and allowed the competition to play itself out over the subsequent five months.




"You've got two first-round draft picks, and when they both came in, I made it very clear that this is going to be a battle and they're going to compete for the job," Steichen said after the Colts' 23-19 preseason loss to Green Bay Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.




"And like I said, I'm going to make the decision I feel is best for the football team."

That proved to be Jones, who'll start when the Colts open the season Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium.




And while it furthers his attempt to restart a six-year career that failed to deliver for the New York Giants, it calls into question Richardson's future with the Colts.




The Colts hoped the ultra-talented, raw Florida product would develop into their quarterback of the future, but now he heads into year 3 as Jones' backup.




After Saturday's preseason game with Green Bay, Richardson was asked if he had done enough to prevail in his competition with Jones.




"I really don't know. It really doesn't matter what I think at the end of the day," he said. "It's really up to them. I feel like I've been trying to put my best foot forward, trying to grow each and every step of the way.




"I feel like I've been doing a decent job and improving, but at the end of the day, I just want to keep improving. If I do win the job, thank God. If not, I need to keep working."




Although the 23-year-old Richardson remains one of the NFL's youngest quarterbacks, he's now missed 17 of a possible 34 regular-seasons with injuries, two more with a benching last season for lacking the proper game preparation, been wildly inconsistent as a passer and been beaten out by Jones.

As training camp opened in late July, Ballard pushed back on the notion Richardson was heading into a make-or-break season. He's admitted on several occasions the team made a mistake by pushing Richardson into a starter's role as a rookie. The Colts must make a decision next offseason whether to pick up his fifth-year option, which is part of the guaranteed four-year, $33.99 million rookie contract.




"Sometimes you've got to have a little patience with a guy and let them grow through things," Ballard said. " . . . just because people outside think you should flush him, I don't agree with that.




"I think we need to give Anthony every chance to be the best he can be. I think he can be really good, but things got to come together."




That apparently didn't happen since Steichen opted for Jones. By all appearances, he's in the midst of a decent but unspectacular preseason.




"Daniel does a nice job," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Monday before the decision was announced. "First off, he is a veteran quarterback who's played a lot of football. And the more football you play, the more you see, the more experience you have of dealing with problems, problem solving on the field, handling different situations."




Jones, 28, started 69 of 70 games for the Giants in six seasons. He started the first 10 games last season before being benched and eventually released. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings but did not play for them.




With the Giants, Jones was 24-44-1 as a starter while competing 64.1% of his passes for 14,582 yards with 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. The team seldom surrounded him with a suitable support cast, which led to him being sacked 208 times in 70 games. That's third-most in the NFL over that stretch, trailing only Russell Wilson (261) and Baker Mayfield (225).




After he signed with the Colts in March, Jones insisted his confidence hadn't waned despite the shortcomings with the Giants.




"I'm still very confident in my ability to play quarterback at a high level in this league," he said. "I think there's a lot of really good football ahead of me and understand there's a lot to learn, a lot to grow with and that's what I'm focused on and that's what you're chasing.




I'm confident and eager to get started here."




There was little to separate Richardson and Jones from the two preseason games.




Jones was under center for eight possessions and 46 plays and completed 17-of-32 passes (53.1%) for 245 yards. The offensive output with him included two field goals and two missed field goals.




Richardson completed 8-of-14 passes (57.1%) for 94 yards while directing four drives - one touchdown, two field goals, one punt - and handling 31 snaps. He started against the Ravens in Baltimore but suffered a dislocated right pinky on his seventh play.




Steichen, though, insisted all along his decision would involve more than how Richardson and Jones fared in the preseason games.




"I think it all matters," he said earlier this month. "It all counts. Every rep matters. Every walk-thru matters. Every meeting matters. It all matters. So, everything's being evaluated."





via: https://fox59.com/sports/colts/jones-wins-starting-job-for-colts/