It’s officially the dawn of a new era for the Indianapolis Colts. The Anthony Richardson experiment is over, as the former No. 4 pick will no longer be the starter.

Head coach Shane Steichen named Daniel Jones his new QB1. More importantly, he’s going to be patient with him, so Richardson may have a tough time taking the field at all in his third year in the league:

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“He’s our starting quarterback for the season,” Steichen told the media. “I don’t want to have a quick leash on that. I feel confident in his abilities.”

Daniel Jones Brings More Consistency To The Table

When asked about his decision, Steichen claimed that as much as Richardson has improved between seasons, Jones just gave them the type of consistency they needed at this point:

“You guys heard me talk about the consistency, and that’s really what I was looking for,” Steichen said. “Really the operation at the line of scrimmage, the checks, the protections, the ball placement, the completion percentage, all of that played a factor in (the decision). I think Daniel did a great job (being consistent), and I think AR has made strides in that area, but I do feel he needs to continue to develop in those areas.”

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Shane Steichen Won’t Shut The Door on a Daniel Jones Return Next Season

Still, while the head coach said that Richardson was just ‘one play away’ from taking a leap, he wouldn’t mind rolling with Jones for the long run if it came down to that. When asked about potentially bringing him back after this year, Steichen would welcome him with open arms.

The Colts are essentially giving up on their first-round pick just 15 games into his career. Still, after watching him complete just 47% of his passes and throw 12 interceptions against eight touchdowns last season, it’s hard to be confident about him at this point in his development.

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Richardson is perhaps the most athletic, strongest, and fastest quarterback prospect in the league, and he’s just 22 years old and hasn’t played a ton of football, so there’s a chance that he will figure things out at some point. But as things stand now, that may not happen soon, or at least not in Indianapolis.

The Colts Need Some Consistency at Quarterback

The Colts desperately need this experiment to work out for them. They’ve failed to find a replacement since Andrew Luck shockingly retired shortly after the start of the 2019 season.

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Jones will now be the sixth different starting quarterback for them ever since, joining the likes of Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, and Richardson.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.