Daniel Jones named Colts' starting QB; what's next for Anthony Richardson?

The Indianapolis Colts have named Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2025 season. So what does this now mean for Anthony Richardson?

Given Jones' play over the last few seasons in New York, there is certainly the possibility that the Colts could still turn to Richardson at some point in 2025. Just because Jones is the Week 1 starter doesn't mean the Colts' quarterback question marks are solved.

However, as Steichen made clear on Tuesday, the plan is for Jones to start the entire 2025 season. He doesn't want him to have a "short leash."

The Colts have been steadfast in their continued support of Richardson, regardless of the outcome of this quarterback competition. When assistant GM Ed Dodds was asked recently if this is a make-or-break year for Richardson, he quickly replied with "no."

While that sounds great, that may not be the reality either.

There are a few scenarios that could play out this season, most of which aren't favorable for Richardson. If Jones and the Colts find success and make the playoffs, Jones probably gets a new deal next offseason to be the quarterback moving forward.

If the Colts stick with Jones throughout the season and the team misses the playoffs, then Steichen, Chris Ballard, and others are likely gone after another postseason missed. At which point, the new GM and coach could look to bring in their own handpicked quarterback.

Perhaps one of the few scenarios where Richardson can regain control of this starting role long term is if Jones struggles, Steichen turns to Richardson with his seat getting hot, and Richardson saves the season and leads the Colts to the playoffs. However, in that scenario, there are a lot of ifs that have to happen.

As Steichen said, Richardson made strides this summer, but from an accuracy, pre-snap, and overall operation standpoint, there is still room for growth.

Who knows, maybe I'm just a prisoner of the moment at this time. And again, I know the Colts are saying publicly that they still believe in Richardson. But given that the current regime is in win-now mode, Ballard and Steichen's timelines don't exactly align anymore with where Richardson is at, as the team now pivots and has him in a more developmental role.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Daniel Jones named starter, what does it mean for Anthony Richardson