Colts QB competition: Shane Steichen reveals plan for Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones in preseason games

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen officially revealed his preseason plan for quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones on Tuesday. Richardson will start Indianapolis’ first preseason game on Thursday vs. the Baltimore Ravens, while Jones will start their second preseason game vs. the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 16.

Richardson is heading into his third NFL season after playing in just 15 games through his first two campaigns. Jones is entering his seventh season, but first with the Indianapolis Colts.

A QB update: Colts HC Shane Steichen said Anthony Richardson will start Indianapolis’ first preseason game Thursday vs. the Ravens before Daniel Jones starts their second preseason game vs. the Packers.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2025

After being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Florida, Richardson has struggled immensely. Through his first two seasons, he’s passed for just 2,391 yards, 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Colts are 8-7 in games he’s played in since the beginning of the 2023 season.

In order to provide themselves some extra depth at the position, the Colts brought in fellow former top-10 pick Daniel Jones via free agency this offseason. He spent his first 5 1/2 seasons of professional football with the New York Giants before he was released mid-season in 2024 and picked up by the Minnesota Vikings.

He was picked up by Indianapolis and is now embroiled with Richardson in a heated quarterback battle. In 70 career games, “Danny Dimes” boasts 14,582 passing yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. His shining NFL moment came in the Giants’ 2022 Wild Card victory over the Vikings, in which he became the first player ever with 300-plus pass yards, two or more touchdown passes, and 70-plus rushing yards in a playoff game.

This led to him inking a four year, $160 million contract extension with the Giants which would come back to bite the franchise immensely. Just two seasons later, Russell Wilson leads the Giants offense and Jones sits in Indianapolis.

The franchise has had troubles at the position since the surprising retirement of Andrew Luck just weeks prior to the 2019 NFL season. Since then, the Colts are 48-51-1 over the span of six seasons. In that time, the franchise has started 10 different quarterbacks (Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew II, Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco) and made the Playoffs just once (lost in 2020 Wild Card Round).

Whether it’s Jones or Richardson that wins the starting spot, some stability at the position for the franchise would be a breath of fresh of air.