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Hall of Famer Edgerrin James talks about Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks.
The Indianapolis Colts were slowly going into the toilet before the Achilles injury to quarterback Daniel Jones. That said, Jones provided life for a team that could have been staring down the barrel of a four-win season depending on what they got out of Jones and former first-round pick Anthony Richardson in 2025.
But, Hall of Famer and former Colts’ running back Edgerrin James said recently that he’s always had confidence in the front office to make the right choices at the quarterback position.
“The Colts organization has always made great decisions, and having to make big decisions at the quarterback position is nothing new to them,” James said in an interview with Hard Rock Bet.
“We’ve had a bunch of great quarterbacks play in Indianapolis, and the organization knows exactly what’s needed to make that offense go. They have a great head coach in Shane Steichen, a great offensive coordinator in Jim Bob Cooter, and they have an elite offensive line.
“They have a complete team, and they understand the importance of the quarterback position. So, whether it’s Daniel Jones or someone else, I’m confident in them making the right decision and doing what they believe is best for the team.”
James talks about Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Anthony Richardson
Oh, where to start with Richardson? He was drafted fourth overall in 2023 and has been a disappointment so far to say the least. James thinks Richardson is extremely talented, but notes that there’s more to playing NFL quarterback.
“At the end of the day, it’s clear that Anthony Richardson Sr. is a talented player,” James said, although it’s highly unlikely that he referred to him as ‘senior.’ “He’s extremely talented, but he’s also so young, and the quarterback position is usually based on experience.
“He came out of the University of Florida, and he really didn’t have that many games under his belt. So, with his athletic ability, if you give him time, I’m quite sure he’s going to be a successful player.”
I’m sure he’s just being nice, because not many in the Colts’ organization think that and they’ve watching him on a daily basis for three years.
“As far as his future with the Colts goes, that’s another decision the front office has to make, and they have to do what’s best for the organization,” he continued. “Whether he stays at the Colts or not, Richardson also needs to buy into the team’s decision.
“Because of his age, it’s way too early to write Richardson off and say he can’t become a starting quarterback in the NFL. A lot of elite quarterbacks in history didn’t have success right away. Even when you look at Peyton Manning, he didn’t have success early on in Indianapolis, but he got reps and experience.”
Edgerrin thinks Riley Leonard played well for the Indianapolis Colts
When discussing the Colts’ QB situation, James also weighed in on rookie Riley Leonard, who was called upon to start late in the season.
“It was a great performance because he was going into a hostile environment, and Houston was playing to try to win the AFC South, so it was a meaningful game for them,” James said. “So, for Leonard to go out there and play like that was really impressive.”
So, was James shocked that Leonard went in and played well?
“I wasn’t completely surprised by his performance, though, as he came from a big-time college football program in Notre Dame, so he’s played in those environments before,” he concluded. “The Colts must be impressed by Leonard because they leaned on him when they could have easily given Philip Rivers another shot at playing, but maybe they understood what was best for the future of their game.”
Micah Warren Micah Warren has been covering the NFL – and sports in general – for more than 20 years and he began writing for Heavy in 2025. His work has been featured in Yahoo!, MSN.com, Forbes, amNewYork, Off the Record, GCobb.com, Muck Rack, PR Daily, Blast Magazine and other sports and non-sports-related outlets. More about Micah Warren
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