Former Duke football quarterback and current Indianapolis Colt Daniel Jones joined the Colts after his time with the New York Giants came to an end. However, Jones has a chance to revive his career as a starter in the NFL by outplaying Anthony Richardson in training camp.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by Indianapolis, has had a rocky start to his career. Health has been a major issue, and his play hasn't been all that great when he's been on the field. After he was benched last season, it's clear he's on thin ice with the franchise. On top of that, he's dealing with a shoulder injury that kept him out of minicamp entirely. This paves the way for Jones to be able to come in and take the starting job in training camp, especially if Richardson isn't healthy.
Sports Illustrated NFL writer Albert Breer reported earlier this month on the quarterback battle in Indy featuring Richardson, Jones, and Riley Leonard, who was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Breer said that Jones may already be a step ahead of Richardson.
"Daniel Jones has had a really nice spring, by all accounts, in picking up Shane Steichen’s offense in Indy. Even if Anthony Richardson is cleared for the start of training camp, he may be chasing Jones for the Colts’ starting job."
It looks like Jones is taking advantage of Richardson being on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, and there's a realistic possibility that the former Blue Devil can revive his NFL career with a new squad.
Jones, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Giants before being released by the franchise in the middle of this past season. He spent the rest of this past campaign with the Minnesota Vikings before signing with Indianapolis after the season.
Although Jones hasn't proven to be anything special as a QB in the NFL, he's a serviceable starter at times who many believe is better than Richardson, potentially even some in the Colts' front office. With much of the summer and the entire preseason still to be played, there's no certainty, but Jones is in a prime position to win back a starting job in 2025.