Colts common supervisor Chris Ballard added gas to the staff’s budding quarterback controversy on Wednesday when he mentioned the “similarities” between 2024 Week 1 starter Anthony Richardson and 2025 free-agent signing Daniel Jones.
In a video produced by the Colts team website, “Behind The Colts: 2025 Free Company,” Ballard mentioned including Jones to the quarterback room on a one-year, $14 million contract in the beginning of free company.
The nine-year common supervisor made it clear he views the 2019 first-round choose as official competitors to overhaul Richardson, who the staff drafted No. 4 total in 2023, as Indianapolis’ QB1.
“Between Daniel and Anthony, you are going to see a very good competitors,” Ballard mentioned. (h/t NFL.com)
“We thought Daniel’s talent set and Anthony’s talent set — there’s plenty of similarities there,” Ballard added. “So offensively, I feel that is going to assist our offensive workers.”
These feedback, which counsel the Colts view Jones and Richardson as interchangeable, lay the groundwork for Jones doubtlessly getting into the 2025 season because the staff’s beginning quarterback.
Each Jones and Richardson are cellular threats. For his profession, Jones has 2,179 speeding yards and 15 speeding touchdowns on 399 carries (5.5 yards per try), together with a career-high 708 speeding yards in 2022. Richardson has 635 profession speeding yards and 10 speeding touchdowns on 111 carries (5.7 yards per try) in two seasons (15 video games).
No matter who earns the position, neither choice ought to excite followers. In his final 16 begins courting again to the beginning of the 2023 season, Jones went 3-13 with the Giants, finishing 64.7 % of his go makes an attempt for two,979 yards (5.9 yards per try), 10 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Sadly, that is likely to be an improve over Richardson, who had an alarming 47.7 % completion proportion in 11 begins a season in the past. After finishing 54.7 % of his passes in faculty, it could be overly optimistic for the Colts to consider he’ll make the enhancements essential to develop into their franchise quarterback.
If they provide the Colts comparable contributions within the operating sport, whoever is extra constant as a passer ought to have the sting. At this level, that seems to be Jones.
