Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson has a lot of responsibilities to address prior to the start of the 2025 NFL season. The approaching offseason will be vital, as he’ll compete with veteran Daniel Jones for the opportunity to start for Shane Steichen.
This article outlines an analysis by NFL.com’s Kevin Patra regarding forecasts for quarterbacks who switched teams following the 2024 season. For Jones, Patra believes it won’t be a productive year in the ex-New York Giants QB’s final opportunity to prove he’s a starter-level leader.
“When a squad adds an experienced player to challenge a younger teammate, it typically signals that they are prepared to advance.” Nonetheless, the Colts have made a significant investment in Richardson. The young player will probably receive every chance to demonstrate he has improved since last year’s failure. I believe that desperation provides Richardson one final opportunity to start the season. If he falters, at the very least, Jones provides Shane Steichen with an experienced player capable of managing the offense.
Jones’ NFL career hasn’t been the tidiest, accumulating 14,582 passing yards, 70 touchdown passes, and 47 interceptions. He has also mishandled the football a staggering 50 times in 69 starts, in addition to being sacked 208 times.
There’s a slim possibility that Jones won’t get to play if Richardson is able to participate in all 17 games and stay healthy. Nevertheless, this is very improbable considering that one of Richardson’s major drawbacks is his ability to remain healthy and ready to start for Indianapolis.
Richardson may be highly imprecise, yet he holds a winning record as a starter, having participated in 15 out of 34 potential games over two seasons (8-7). Jones boasts a career record of 24-44-1, having faced catastrophic results in his last two seasons with a 3-13 record.
Indeed, this is probably Richardson’s final attempt at a starting position with the Colts, but it’s also Jones’ opportunity to demonstrate his ability to effectively lead an offense. If Richardson decisively secures the starting role and demonstrates the talent that prompted Indy to select him fourth overall, it could signal the end of Jones’ tenure as a starter in the NFL, pushing him into ‘career backup’ status.
Jones possesses talent, that much is certain, but it hasn’t resulted in effective quarterback play or victories beyond the 2022 season when he guided New York to the playoffs and achieved a postseason win.
Jones needs to improve more than he ever has in his six NFL seasons, and fortunately, he is supported by the strongest offense he has encountered with the Colts. If Jones receives chances to play, it will be noteworthy to see if he can rejuvenate his career and steer clear of being a backup until he finishes his time in professional football.