Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indianapolis Colts QB1 Situation – Opportunity for Daniel Jones, Misfortune for Anthony Richardson, and a Chance at QB1 for Another Team

Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts named Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback for the upcoming regular season. In short, that translates to Jones earning the nod over Anthony Richardson for the near future at the very least.

Throughout the offseason, the battle for the starting spot under center has been the main storyline in Indy, and while neither player was able to gain substantial ground over the other, Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen has decided to go with Jones, who executed exactly what Steichen has been looking for.

From @GMFB: Daniel Jones is now the #Colts starter. An opportunity to kickstart his career… pic.twitter.com/VGuBxcWQd6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2025

Redemption Opportunity for Jones

The decision to go with Jones over Richardson may have left Colts fans divided, but in real honesty, there wasn’t any right answer. Richardson has been benched just 15 games into his professional career, but that doesn’t mean Jones is much better.

The 28-year-old may have won the job over his younger compatriot, but a quick glance at his overall career thus far shows just how much he struggled during his six years in New York. Jones has a career win-loss record of 24−44−1 as a starter with a 64.1% completion rate. He has thrown 70 touchdowns, 47 interceptions, and has a passer rating of 84.3.

Not the type of numbers that are going to wow any fan base. Furthermore, ‘Danny Dimes,’ as he is often referred to, has been horrendous in week 1 for the past couple of years. In 2023, the Giants were demolished by the Cowboys 40-0, where Jones had 104 passing yards, 2 picks, and a QBR of 32.4. In 2024, the Giants lost 28-6 to the Vikings, and Jones was once again abysmal with 186 passing yards, 2 interceptions, and a 44.3 QBR.

#Colts quarterback Daniel Jones on being named the starter for the full season:

"I understand this league and how it works. You've got to perform at a high level week in and week out and that's certainly what I expect of myself." pic.twitter.com/bY3nkcuNp6
— WISH-TV News (@WISHNews8) August 19, 2025

Overall, the 2019 first-round pick now has a shot at redeeming himself after the Colts have placed their trust in him. Indianapolis will take on the Miami Dolphins to open their 2025 campaign, and all eyes will be on what Jones does with this new opportunity presented to him.

Ill Fate for Anthony Richardson

It’s true that Anthony Richardson hasn’t done much to help his cause, even though many are of the opinion that he hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove himself at this level. After all, the 4th overall pick from the 2023 NFL draft has started only 15 games in his career thus far.

"Gotta respect the decision. They feel like he's a better fit for the team."

Anthony Richardson on losing QB1 to Daniel Jones

(via @KBowen1070)pic.twitter.com/1JTbSchOTo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 19, 2025

In that sense, it is rather unfortunate that the Colts have given up on him so early in his tenure. At the time of the draft, the think tank in Indy felt he was the future of the franchise, but that is clearly not the case now.

Richardson will have to reset, and it looks like his future is outside of Indianapolis, with the Colts looking less likely to opt for his fifth year now. The more important question seems to be whether the Colts trade him this year or the next. Whatever the case, Indy’s loss would be another team’s gain.

Richardson to the Steelers?

Following the news of Jones becoming the new starter for the Colts, trade speculation surrounding Richardson is already underway. The youngster is being linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and for good reason, too.

Currently, Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback in the ‘Steel City’. But he has signed just a one-year deal, and anything beyond that would depend largely on his and the team’s performance in the upcoming season.

"I've never seen anyone more destined to be in the 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback competition than Anthony Richardson."@bykevinclark believes Richardson needs a fresh start somewhere besides the Colts 😯 pic.twitter.com/9Sd6BCWgsy
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 6, 2025

The advantage for Richardson if the Steelers were to get him is that they are known to be more patient in allowing young talent to flourish. Moreover, if they trade for him now, he would learn a great deal sitting behind Rodgers for a year.

Pittsburgh does have Will Howard, whom they drafted in this year’s draft, but the physical specimen that Richardson is, he could definitely give the Steelers’ quarterback room a run for their money.

In a league where nothing is given and everything is earned, sometimes it’s just as simple as a change in scenery that works wonders. Football fans don’t have to look too far back to understand this, as Sam Darnold saw a career revival with the Minnesota Vikings only last season. Maybe that is exactly what Jones and Richardson also need.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Anthony Richardson

Daniel Jones

Indianapolis Colts

NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!