Some NFL analysts stay at the least barely skeptical that former New York Giants beginning quarterback Daniel Jones will win the Indianapolis Colts’ QB1 job over 2023 first-round draft decide Anthony Richardson this summer time.
For a chunk up to date on Thursday, Colts reporter James Boyd of The Athletic prompt that basic supervisor Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are hoping Jones will assist enhance Richardson’s behind-the-scenes work en path to the 22-year-old remaining atop the Indianapolis depth chart by way of at the least Week 1 of the 2025 season.
“I consider Jones’ dedication is among the greatest causes the Colts introduced him in for his or her open QB competitors,” Boyd defined. “Time will inform if Indianapolis is severe about doubtlessly transferring on from Richardson earlier than he begins one other sport for the franchise, which nonetheless looks like an extended shot, however the workforce needed somebody to gentle a hearth beneath Richardson. The simplest approach to do this? Placing Jones proper beside him as a continuing reminder of what it means to be knowledgeable.”
Richardson’s inconsistent play coupled along with his admitting that he took himself out of a sport as a result of he was “drained” made it simple for Steichen to bench the younger signal-caller for a pair of November contests this previous fall. Steichen later indicated that Richardson wanted to indicate “nice progress in all points,” akin to “the each day strategy of the conferences and the walkthroughs and the apply.”
In December, defensive sort out DeForest Buckner revealed that he and different veteran Colts gamers met with Richardson through the quarterback’s demotion to let him know “that the usual wasn’t being met” and “that he [needed] to select it up.”
In the meantime, Jones’ dedication to the trigger by no means got here into query throughout his Giants tenure, even after the “Exhausting Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” program made it clear that basic supervisor Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll needed to search out Jones’ long-term substitute through the 2024 NFL Draft. The Giants benched and subsequently launched Jones when the membership was 2-8 in November.
“He’ll are available, I’m positive, with an enormous chip on his shoulder as a result of he was fairly p—– off with how all the pieces went down final season,” Giants reporter Dan Duggan mentioned about Jones for Thursday’s article. “Not solely did they attempt to commerce up and eliminate him, in addition they documented it on ‘Exhausting Knocks.’ So, he’ll by no means actually present it, however whenever you speak to individuals round him, it positively bothered him.”
Maybe a few of Jones’ motivation to silence doubters will rub off on Richardson between the beginning of springtime exercises and Indianapolis’ remaining preseason sport this August.
