Colts name Jones the opening-day starting quarterback over Richardson

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Daniel Jones chose the Indianapolis Colts because he wanted a chance to prove he could still be a starting NFL quarterback. The gamble paid off Tuesday when coach Shane Steichen announced that Jones would start the Sept. 7 season opener against Miami, beating out Anthony Richardson, who just two years ago was dubbed the franchise's quarterback of the future. The reason: consistency and accuracy. "The operation at the line, discernment, checks, the protection, the ball placement, I think all of that played a factor in it," Steichen said. "I think Daniel did a great job doing that." Steichen hinted a decision was coming soon following Saturday's 23-19 loss to Green Bay in the Colts' only home preseason game. On Monday, he met with team co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon and general manager Chris Ballard before informing the two quarterbacks and the rest of the team Tuesday before he went public. Ballard and Steichen also know this is a critical season for their futures with the franchise, which has missed the playoffs four straight seasons, and they're not about to put Jones on a short leash. "He's our starter for the season," Steichen said. For Jones, the decision caps a harrowing nine-month journey in which he lost the starting job with the New York Giants, then sought and was granted his release. The Minnesota Vikings signed him five days later, but Jones never took a snap for a team that lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Instead of re-signing him, the Vikings allowed Jones to test free agency. He wound up signing a one-year, $14 million contract with Indy because of the opportunity to compete with Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, for the starting job. "That was obviously a big piece of why I came here — to play and be on the field, to be with this group," Jones said. "It's a strong group of players and a strong group of coaches and I think there's a lot to be excited about." Jones has thrown for 14,582 yards with 70 TDs and 47 interceptions since being the Giants' selection at No. 6 overall in 2019. He finished last season with 2,070 yards, eight TDs and seven interceptions in 10 games with the Giants. For Richardson, it's another setback in a short career that has been defined by injuries, missed games and blown opportunities. The Colts took Richardson to end the revolving door at quarterback. Indy had a different opening-day starter every year from 2017-23. Richardson ended that streak last year. But Richardson made only four starts as a rookie before needing season-ending shoulder surgery. Last year, injuries cost him four more starts and he was benched for two games after pulling himself out of a game because he said he needed a breather. While Richardson has provided glimpses of the strong arm and impressive runs that impressed Indy's scouts when he was playing for the Florida Gators, he's only 8-7 as an NFL starter — and has been unable to finish some of those games because of injuries. In 2024, Richardson completed 47.7% of his throws, the lowest percentage of any regular starter in the league, and had 12 interceptions and eight touchdown passes. That's why the Colts wanted the competition. Richardson worked on his footwork in hopes of improving his accuracy during the offseason, and while many of his teammates thought this was the best he'd looked in his three training camps, it wasn't good enough. "I guess you could say (I was) somewhat surprised, but at the end of the day we all knew somebody was going to have to be on this end of the stick and, you know, it was me," Richardson said. "I feel like I did improve. My improvement was there, but there are still ways I can improve, still ways I can become a better player, become a starter in the league." It's hardly the first time a high draft pick has fallen on hard times early in his career. Richardson becomes the fifth top-10 pick who has not started the opener of their third season. Carson Wentz in 2018 and Michael Vick in 2003 were out because of injuries while Trey Lance in 2023, Josh Rosen in 2020 and Matt Leinart in 2008 did not win the starting job. And despite making the decision, Steichen insisted Indy continues to believe Richardson still has a bright future in the league — and with the Colts. "I think Daniel was ahead of him (Richardson) there," Steichen said when asked specifically about Jones' consistency on the field. "I think there's still room for A.R. to grow. He's only 23 years old. He's still learning, still growing and for the first time in his career, this is an opportunity for him to sit at the start of a season and learn in a different role." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL