Ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the Titans, Shane Steichen announced who the Colts’ backup quarterback would be.
#Colts HC Shane Steichen says Riley Leonard will remain QB2 “for right now.”
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 24, 2025
For the second week in a row, rookie Riley Leonard will be the Indianapolis Colts’ backup quarterback, said head coach Shane Steichen after Friday’s practice.
However, Steichen did also add the caveat that Leonard is the backup “for right now,” signaling that nothing is set in stone at this time.
The Colts placed Anthony Richardson on injured reserve early last week. Beginning with Week 7, Richardson has to miss a minimum of four games, although when he could potentially return is still unknown.
To bolster their quarterback depth with Richardson out, the Colts would sign Brett Rypien to the practice squad.
Rypien provides some added experience in the quarterback room behind Daniel Jones. He’s been in the NFL since 2019 and has appeared in 11 games.
While the Colts are very bullish on Leonard, this was meant to be a developmental year for him.
It’s possible that with Rypien being in Indianapolis for roughly a week, he is still getting up to speed with the new offense.
From the sounds of it, this backup quarterback situation for Indianapolis will remain fluid, but for the second week in a row, that job will belong to Leonard.
Steichen with no clarity on the return of Anthony Richardson. Just continuing to rehab.
This is two weeks into his stay on IR.
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) October 24, 2025