The Indianapolis Colts made news this offseason by acquiring the disgraced former first round pick of the New York Giants, Daniel Jones. With additional information coming to light regarding the recharging of presumed starting quarterback Anthony Richardson’s shoulder, the signing is appearing increasingly favorable.
“Apparently, a new sheriff has arrived,” stated Angela Moryan of WISH-TV. “The Horseshoe is set to begin veteran minicamp on Tuesday, with Daniel Jones handling most — if not all — of the starting quarterback duties while Anthony Richardson is out due to a right shoulder injury.”
As the team’s official training camp is expected to begin in roughly six weeks, it’s reasonable to consider that Jones’ performance in the next few weeks may influence head coach Shane Steichen’s final choice.
“Let’s see how it unfolds,” Steichen remarked.
Steichen Has Only Positive Remarks for Jones
Jones’ departure from East Rutherford, New Jersey was far from ceremonial, to say the least. Playing in only ten games in 2024, Jones’ breaking point was an overtime defeat against the Carolina Panthers during the NFL’s Germany matchup. Jones was released 12 days later.
Having concluded the season with the Minnesota Vikings, he is currently signed to a one-year, $14 million contract in Indianapolis. Coach Steichen mentions that Jones has made an impression since he got here.
“He’s been fantastic.” “He’s performed exceptionally well for us, clearly adapting to the offense and understanding the system,” Steichen stated. “Clearly, he’s intelligent and grasps the concept.” He’s grasped it quite well, and he’s accomplished some positive things up to now.”
“He’s an experienced individual who arrives early, works late, and consistently does what’s needed.”
Richardson’s Injury
The injury update regarding Anthony Richardson is unfortunate for the ex-top five selection, who is speculated to be competing this season under ‘make or break’ conditions. The announcement regarding the quarterback’s throwing shoulder injury was made on Thursday, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared complete details the following day on SportsCenter.
Fowler stated during a live broadcast, “He injured his AC joint in 2023, and I’ve been informed there’s some inflammation from it.” Richardson worked extremely hard this offseason, and during OTAs, he was throwing frequently, sometimes hundreds of passes daily. He experienced some pain and inflammation; he informed Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery two years prior. They examined the scans, and I’m informed that structurally, this is acceptable. It’s simply an issue of inflammation and soreness along with the need for rest. He is confident he will be prepared for training camp. However, it is a problem, do not be mistaken. Particularly with Daniel Jones, they’re compensating him quite well to possibly take on the starting role.”
Regrettably for Colts supporters, they are quite familiar with Anthony Richardson’s injuries. Out of the 34 potential games Richardson could have participated in, he has only started and completed 35%.
“Sean Ackerman from SI stated, ‘Richardson’s injury list continues to grow longer after two years in the league.’” “He has played in just 15 of the 34 games available.” During those 15 starts, he exited three of them prematurely because of injury. While there was optimism for his health this season, it may not turn out that way.