Shane Steichen announced on Wednesday who the Colts’ starting quarterback would be for the team’s regular season finale against Houston.
Shane Steichen confirms Riley Leonard will start Sunday.
Seth Henigan “good chance” will be the backup. Philip Rivers will hang around the building this week to help.
Anthony Richardson Sr. will not be activated. Still has vision limitations.
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) December 31, 2025
As expected, Riley Leonard will be the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback for their Week 18 regular-season finale against the Houston Texans.
Reports from early in the week indicated this would be the case, but head coach Shane Steichen confirmed the news on Wednesday.
Along with Leonard starting, Steichen also added that Seth Henigan, who was signed to the practice squad on Monday, has a good chance to be the backup, which would leave Phillip Rivers as the third emergency quarterback.
Anthony Richardson will remain on injured reserve. He will not be activated.
With the Colts now out of playoff contention, a full week of practice as the starting quarterback, along with the 60-minute in-game experience, can be quite valuable for a young player like Leonard.
This also gives the Colts a greater opportunity to evaluate where he is at in his development at the end of his rookie season.
Leonard has appeared in four games this season, but Sunday will be his first start. He has completed 18-of-33 passes for 145 yards with a rushing touchdown and two interceptions.
(Please note that this article will be updated.)