The Indianapolis Colts have begun one of the most interesting quarterback competitions in the NFL, pitting the incumbent Anthony Richardson against newcomer Daniel Jones.

After being made the fourth-overall pick in 2023, Richardson had some major bright spots as a rookie for the Colts, but his season was cut to just four games after a season-ending shoulder injury. He took a big step back in year two, ultimately being benched for a pair of games while also dealing with injuries that cost him four other contests.

The Colts knew that if they were going to move forward with Richardson as their potential starting quarterback, he’d have to be given competition for the spot and earn it the hard way. Thus, they signed Jones early in free agency.

Jones’ career was also looking up at one point with the New York Giants, earning a $160 million contract extension following a breakout 2022 campaign. He was limited to just six games the following season due to a season-ending knee injury (just a few weeks after Richardson’s injury). His 2024 season also went off in disaster, ultimately being benched before asking (and receiving) his release. He then signed on with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad for the remainder of the season before hitting free agency this March.

Now, the Colts are here, in the throws of a quarterback competition between two players desperately attempting to take control of their careers once again.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports has taken notice and tabbed Richardson vs. Jones as one of the biggest quarterback competition headliners in the NFL:

This face-off reminds me of 2019, when the Miami Dolphins traded Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans and virtually everyone inside the organization believed it was setting up the make-or-break turning point in the starting career of 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota. At the time, it was billed as adding some competition to the Titans’ quarterback room, with a veteran player who had experienced solid but ultimately fleeting success in his previous stop as a starter. This should sound very familiar in Indianapolis right now, with Jones being added in March on a one-year “prove it” deal to the Colts’ roster, to either take the job from Richardson or spur the soon-to-be 23-year-old into finding a gear he hasn’t been able to reach…

The bottom line? The writing is on the wall for Richardson and it’s in bold letters. He’s going to be painted by the organization as the guy who has the starting quarterback job to lose, when it’s very much likely that he’s the guy who needs to come in and win the position in training camp.

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Robinson also pointed out that Jones has had success in his career when things around him are functioning well, which it is expected to do in Indianapolis with a strong group of skill positions players around him and a functional offensive line.

The fact that Richardson will face competition for the starting quarterback role isn’t unbelievable compared to this time last year, but the fact that it’s Jones sort of is. Not only do these players need to play well, but they also need to prove they can stay healthy.

The Colts’ quarterback competition pits two players together who the team hopes will reach their potential, but at the same time, both players may be facing their final opportunity to be seen as high-potential, long-term starters.

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