One NFL insider recently weighed in on the Colts’ QB competition following offseason programs.
In his recent NFL takeaways article, Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer weighed in on the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback competition.
The plan coming into the offseason was for Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones to split the starting reps throughout OTAs, minicamp, and into training camp. Ultimately, as Shane Steichen has said, what he’s looking for is consistency.
However, those plans were derailed for the time being, with Richardson sidelined for most of OTAs and all of minicamp with a shoulder injury. This then resulted in Jones getting all of the first-team reps, and Steichen has been “very pleased” with what he has seen from him.
As Breer wrote, this development over the last few weeks could give Jones the early edge heading into training camp.
“Daniel Jones has had a really nice spring, by all accounts, in picking up Shane Steichen’s offense in Indy,” wrote Breer. “Even if Anthony Richardson is cleared for the start of training camp, he may be chasing Jones for the Colts’ starting job.”
I don’t think that anything Breer said here is going to come across as a surprise. Richardson missed out on a lot of reps over the last two weeks, so naturally, that could give Jones the upper hand when training camp begins.
Now, with that said, what took place in late May and early June isn’t going to be the deciding factor in who is starting come Week 1. But with fewer opportunities, Richardson will have to hit the ground running once he returns.
The general thought among NFL insiders is that Richardson should be available for the start of training camp, which for the Colts begins on July 22nd. However, depending on when he gets back to throwing, a ramp-up period may be required. So, just because he is available on Day 1, we will have to see if he’s a full-go on Day 1.