WESTFIELD – The battle for the starting quarterback job is underway at Grand Park, and Colts coach Shane Steichen is working hard to make sure it’s as fair a fight as possible.
Indianapolis held four team periods for the first camp practice Wednesday.
Daniel Jones played with the starters for the first two; Anthony Richardson took the No. 1 snaps for the final two. Each quarterback was given 16 team snaps, and the amount of throws was almost identical, Richardson throwing 13 times to 12 for Jones.
All of that is by design.
Even though Richardson is dealing with a volume restriction after experience soreness in his throwing shoulder this summer, the Colts plan to limit his throws in the low-leverage portions of practice.
“We want him to get all the team reps, so you might not see him throw some individual reps,” Steichen said. “Those guys are going to get the same amount of reps… We don’t want one guy to get all the reps on third down, the same with red zone.”
The results were mixed for both passers.
Jones completed 6-of-7 passes in 11-on-11 work, although there was at least one completion that was a little misleading. After hitting Alec Pierce on an out route to open camp, the veteran’s second offering was batted into the air at the line of scrimmage by nose tackle Grover Stewart; Jones caught the ball for a completion, but he would have been dropped for a huge loss.
He then put the ball a little too far in front of Michael Pittman Jr. to end the first 11-on-11 period. In 7-on-7 work, Jones completed 2-of-5 throws, finding Josh Downs and Mo Alie-Cox on short routes while missing a deep ball to Pierce, a throw over the middle to Tyler Warren that was deflected and a quick hitter to Downs that Jones waited too long to throw.
Kenny Moore II pounced on the route combination, stuck one hand into Downs’ chest and pulled it away for a vintage Moore pick, the first of camp.
“Just a bad decision,” Jones said. “Late out there.”
Jones bounced back in 11-on-11 by hitting Adonai Mitchell on a bubble, Ashton Dulin on a hitch and Salvon Ahmed on a swing pass, along with the best throw of opening day, a deep fade to second-year receiver Anthony Gould down the sideline that Jones identified and released early, allowing Gould to run under it for the catch. There was another swing pass to Gould, but the throw might have been caught behind Gould, which would make it a run instead of a throw.
Richardson’s day had its own peaks and valleys. The third-year quarterback missed Mitchell on a comebacker on the sideline to start, then Dulin dropped a ball over the middle before Richardson found Gould on a short out. Richardson misfired on all three of his 7-on-7 attempts, a period that included a drop by Mitchell and a dropped interception by cornerback Alex Johnson on a badly thrown ball. Once he returned to the starting lineup, Richardson found Pittman for two completions before lofting a swing pass that Jonathan Taylor couldn’t corral, even with good placement. In his final 11-on-11 period, Richardson missed his first four — a Pittman drop, a Charvarius Ward breakup, another contested ball and a pass breakup by Joe Bachie — before finding Pierce on a slant to end his day.
Richardson finished 4-of-11 in full-team work, 0-for-3 in 7-on-7.
“When it comes to competition, of course I’m competing with Daniel, but I’m also competing with myself,” Richardson said. “Trying to be a better version of myself than I was last year.”
Colts’ big free agency prize
The Colts had to up the ante in free agency to get Ward, increasing its offer to beat out the Saints for the former All-Pro cornerback’s services.
Ward was signed to be the team’s clear No. 1 cornerback, the kind of player new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo can line up against a team’s top receiver to make that pass-catcher’s life a living hell.
The former 49er looked the part on the first day of training camp Wednesday. Ward gave up the catch to Pierce on the first play of training camp, but he also erased a Pierce deep route — no easy task, considering Pierce became the first receiver to average more than 20 yards per catch since DeSean Jackson in 2011 — with his positioning.
A little bit later in practice, Ward drove hard on a short route by Pittman, breaking it up at the point of attack. His tight coverage likely played a role in another drop.
“Great signing by Chris (Ballard) to get him on this football team,” Steichen said. “You saw how sticky he was.”
Ward took some time away from the team’s voluntary work in the spring to be with his family.
But he’s all business now.
“It’s go time,” Ward said. “It’s not time to be easing into anything right now.”
Colts rookie rising
Third-round cornerback Justin Walley drew rave reviews during the team’s offseason workouts, displaying remarkable instincts and ball skills even though he acknowledged his head was swimming due to the playbook installation.
The Colts coaching staff backed up its words by making Walley a starter to open camp.
“He’s a pretty damn good player,” Steichen said. “He did some really good things in the spring, so he’s going to compete.”
Walley likely also benefited from the fact returning starter Jaylon Jones and former second-round pick JuJu Brents each missed time during the team’s spring workouts.
The rookie gave up a couple of short catches on the first day of training camp, but he was right there for the tackle on each throw, and the Colts believe he will get better by being thrown into the fire.
“That’s a good thing for him, a good thing for us,” Ward said. “He’s balling as a young guy, he’s only going to get better with more reps.”
Colts potential sleeper
Indianapolis needs somebody to step up at linebacker.
Pro Bowl middle linebacker Zaire Franklin, who did not practice on Wednesday due to his recovery from offseason ankle surgery, is the only established player at the position. Second-year player Jaylon Carlies is the front-runner for the starting job on the weak side.
Beyond those two players, there is a lot of uncertainty, and it was reflected in the number of linebackers who got a chance with the No. 1 unit Wednesday. Former Bengal Joe Bachie and Lawrence Central product Cameron McGrone got chances with Carlies.
Austin Ajiake, a little-known linebacker from UNLV, looks like an early sleeper for a roster spot. Undrafted in 2023, Ajiake spent brief time with four teams as a rookie before the Colts picked him up in December, and he spent the entire 2024 season on the Indianapolis practice squad.
Ajiake made plays Wednesday. Playing at middle linebacker with the starters, Ajiake broke up a pass to Tyler Warren with a leaping deflection in 7-on-7, and late in the practice he pressured Riley Leonard on a blitz.
“Obviously, Z’s getting ramped back into this thing, so (Ajiake)’s getting some good reps,” Steichen said. “He’s been improving every single year, so excited to see where that goes.”
Colts QB camp counter
11-on-11: Jones 6-o- 7, Richardson 4-of-11
7-on-7: Jones 2-of-5, Richardson 0-of-3
Quick hitters
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who has taken over primary football responsibilities in the wake of her father’s death, watched practice from the field. … Pierce was briefly worked on by trainers, but he returned to practice and made a catch later. … Defensive end Isaiah Land likely had a sack of rookie Leonard if contact was allowed. … Rookie Hunter Wohler lined up with Rodney Thomas at safety for the second-team defense. … Gould, D.J. Giddens, Ashton Dulin, Tyler Goodson, D.J. Montgomery and Coleman Owen were given chances as kick returners.
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