Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones
The Colts brought in Jones to push Richardson and provide insurance should the injury bug continue to bite the former No. 4 overall pick. Oftentimes, such a move spells the end for the younger QB, but the Colts will give Richardson every opportunity to prove he can be the future. The team brass is committed enough to Richardson for us to believe he’ll be given the baton if the competition is close. Richardson has displayed enticing upside as a runner with a massive arm. However, his accuracy, particularly on medium and short routes, hasn’t improved. Worse, he hasn’t stayed healthy, with another shoulder setback wiping out work this offseason. While he’s expected to be ready for camp, the issue underscores his tenuous grasp on the gig. Jones isn’t an obvious upgrade, but he does bring mobility and better short-area accuracy to Shane Steichen’s offense. The past two years, Jones has struggled behind porous offensive lines and gotten rattled too easily. He also has his own injury concerns. If he looks like the 2022 version of himself, Jones has a shot at impressing the coaching staff enough to claim the starting job.
THE PICK: Richardson. Barring injury, I believe the staff still leans toward the incumbent for Week 1. It’d be much easier to start the season with Richardson under center, and then move to Jones if the youngster struggles. The inverse would be much more difficult to sell. While I’m taking Richardson to win the camp competition, I’d take Jones to actually make more starts for the bulk of the season. AR simply hasn’t proven he can stay on the field.