Indianapolis, IN
Former Alabama prep QB 1 play away for Indianapolis Colts
Through the first five games of his NFL career, former Fairhope High School star Riley Leonard served as the emergency third quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. That meant Leonard could play only if Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson could not.
Leonard was supposed to keep that role for Game No. 6 on Sunday. But during his pregame warmup, Richardson sustained an eye injury, and Leonard shifted to the game-day active roster as Jones’ backup.
Leonard will stay in that spot for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“It’s not really how you want to get the job, right?” Leonard said on Wednesday in the Indianapolis locker room. “You want to really earn it. But, I mean, that’s just the nature of this league is kind of next man up. So praying for AR, obviously. I think he’s in really good spirits and, hopefully, recovering well.”
Leonard said the change on the depth chart “won’t change much” about his preparation.
“Still a backup, but just one play away now instead of two,” Leonard said. “But nothing really changes for me. I kind of operate the same. Live a pretty boring life outside of football, so I don’t do much but, you know, kind of just prepare. …
“Mentally, like, it’s obviously a little different, right? But you can’t make too much of it. If I were to go into the game, hopefully, it’s because we’re winning by a lot of points and I got the fourth quarter to myself or something like that. You never wish anything upon the starter or anything like that.”
With Richardson going on injured reserve, he will have to miss the next four games. The Colts signed quarterback Brett Rypien for their practice squad after losing Richardson. Since entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2019, Rypien has played in 11 regular-season games with four starts.
“I love Riley,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said on Wednesday. “I think Riley’s came in with the right mindset from Day 1, the way he works, the way he prepares. So it’s a hell of an opportunity for Riley this week, and then, like I said, he’ll be our backup this week and then we’ll see how everything goes through the next couple weeks.”
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Jones said he’d seen a lot of progress from Leonard since the rookie joined Indianapolis from Notre Dame in the sixth round of the NFL Draft on April 26.
“I think he’s worked extremely hard since the day he got in here to learn it and pick it up,” Jones said. “He’s a smart guy, you know, very, very talented, and been fun watching him. So he’s been fun to work with. Great energy and spirit in the room and has helped me a ton. So he’s made a lot of progress. I think he’ll be ready to roll on Sunday.”
Before helping Notre Dame reach the 2024 CFP national-championship game, Leonard played three seasons at Duke, which sent Jones to the NFL as the sixth choice in the 2019 NFL Draft.
“Oh, shoot, I’ve leaned on that since the day I got drafted,” Leonard said of his connection with Jones. “I mean, there’s no better guy to look up to when it comes to how you operate, how you go about your day-to-day routine. I mean, the dude’s dialed in, and, obviously, it’s working on Sundays. So really, really fortunate to be his backup. I mean, shoot, he was a huge reason why I committed to Duke back in high school. So it’s cool to be playing with him now.”
Before the season, the Colts had a quarterback competition involving Jones, a free-agent signee, and Richardson, the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones won and has Indianapolis off to a 5-1 start as the highest-scoring team in the NFL.
On Sunday, Richardson suffered a fractured orbital bone in a mishap with an exercise band.
“It was a unique moment, I think, for all of us,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said on Tuesday. “But sometimes when you’re preparing a young player for maybe a role that he wasn’t prepping for all week, you don’t want to say too much to, you know, get to thinking about too many different things. So, hey, we’re ready to go play football. He’s ready to go play football. That’s the role of the third quarterback on game day. If your number’s called, you got to be ready to go play.
“So things changed a little bit prior to the game Sunday, but we were confident that Riley was ready to go in there if his number was called. And he’ll continue preparing as such.”
The Colts and Chargers square off at 3:05 p.m. CDT Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Los Angeles had a 4-2 record.
Leonard was an honorable-mention All-State selection in 2019 and a second-team pick in 2020 for Fairhope in football. For the Pirates boys’ basketball team, Leonard earned third-team All-State recognition in 2020 and first-team selection in 2021.
In three seasons at Duke, Leonard threw for 4,450 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,224 yards and 19 touchdowns. At Notre Dame in 2024, Leonard threw for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns and ran for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns.
In three preseason games for the Colts in August, Leonard completed 34-of-56 passes for 345 yards with one touchdown and one interception and ran for 58 yards on seven carries.
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Without a first round selection, when is the Indianapolis Colts’ first pick in the 2026 NFL draft?
Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL draft, what selections do the Indianapolis Colts have this year?
With a record of 8-9, the Colts finished the 2025 season with the 16th-best record. However, they won’t be picking at 16th overall in the first round.
In order to acquire cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets, the Colts traded away their 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks to New York.
So the first time that the Colts will be on the clock come April is in Round 2 and with the 47th overall pick, according to Tankathon.
In total, the Colts currently have five draft picks in 2026. Along with trading away their first-rounder, GM Chris Ballard also traded the Colts’ sixth-round draft pick as part of the trade that brought Mekhi Blackmon over from Minnesota.
- Round 2, pick 47
- Round 3, pick 78
- Round 4, pick 113
- Round 5, pick 154
- Round 7, pick 230
Now, the Colts are projected to receive two compensatory picks in the sixth and seventh rounds. This would bring the Colts’ total number of selections up to seven.
According to Over the Cap, those picks will be awarded to the Colts for EJ Speed and Joe Flacco leaving in free agency last offseason.
At this time, however, those compensatory picks have not yet been made official by the NFL.
NFL.com lists quarterback, linebacker, defensive linemen, and offensive tackle as the Colts’ biggest offseason needs.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana General Assembly returned to session Monday, and one bill filed by an Indianapolis Republican aims to address crime in downtown Indianapolis. The bill would allow for the state to step in to address violent crime in the downtown area.
“We have had people from Sweden who were killed that were in the military,” State Sen. Mike Young, R-Indianapolis, said. “We’ve had hotels shot up from outside. People killed on the street, especially on the canal. It’s a beautiful place, but people are scared.”
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Indiana lawmaker proposes state takeover of public safety downtown
Young filed Senate Bill 145, which would give the governor authority to provide adequate law enforcement services within downtown starting in 2027. Young said he would first try to negotiate with the mayor, but if no agreement is reached, Indiana State Police would assume all law enforcement services within the district. The district would include the Mile Square, Victory Field, Lucas Oil Stadium, Military Park, American Legion Mall, the U.S.S. Indianapolis National Memorial and related facilities such as parking lots.
“Now we are not doing this as a state on the taxpayers’ dime. Since the city won’t be paying as much, they have law enforcement duties. We are going to use some of the tax dollars that the state would send to Indianapolis, and we will hold those back for the cost we have. And hopefully it will be even cheaper,” Young said.
The bill would also allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes committed downtown, taking that authority from the Marion County prosecutor.
Photo Courtesy: Downtown Indianapolis Inc.
WRTV reached out to several downtown organizations, the city and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The Downtown Indy Alliance was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement:
“Public safety is critical to the continued success and vibrancy of Downtown, and we believe this work is best accomplished when partners are working collaboratively. Over the last several years, we have seen great strides in increased cooperation and communication, thanks in part to the work of the Marion County Crime Reduction Board, as well as the leadership of state and local law enforcement officers.
The results of such efforts are clear — in December, IMPD reported that violent crime was down nearly 8% and overall crime down more than 9% in the Downtown District. As conversations continue at the Statehouse, our focus remains on supporting collaboration and data-driven strategies that contribute to a safe and welcoming Downtown for residents, workers, and employers.”
The mayor’s office also issued a statement:
“This is not the first time we’ve seen an extreme proposal pointed at Indianapolis. And while the City is always happy to collaborate with the Governor and the State to improve Indianapolis, the notion that the State would take over public safety responsibilities Downtown is a step too far.”
WRTV/ Otis Jones
IMPD said they will follow the legislation closely and continue to operate as usual. Young said the proposal reflects what constituents want.
“They want to be safe when they come to our capital city and downtown,” Young said.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond before our deadline. The bill has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Courts and Criminal Law, where it awaits a hearing.
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Several shops closing in Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis
Small business owners with stores inside Circle Centre Mall said they received lease terminations that they would need to move out by Dec. 31.
As the year came to an end, so did the annual carousel of stores opening and closing around Indianapolis.
Multiple beloved shops, including a giftware store in Fountain Square and a local bookstore near the Devington area, closed at the end of the year due to personal decisions or financial difficulties. Meanwhile, a streetwear shop opened in Castleton Square Mall, and the last tenants in Circle Centre Mall said their farewells before the shopping center closed for a yearslong redevelopment.
Here’s what retail stores opened and closed in December 2025.
Openings
Indianapolis Liberation Center
1619 Prospect St., indyliberationcenter.org, opened Dec. 5
The Indianapolis Liberation Center opened its permanent physical storefront last month to serve as a community space and organizing hub on the near southeast side. Founded in 2021, the Center brings together organizers and community groups to train activists and host events.
“With a physical store that’s a one-stop shop for organizers and activists — including a diverse range of hundreds of books, unique t-shirts, buttons, stickers, posters, and more — this marks a new chapter in achieving our mission of a city and world free of division, exploitation, marginalization, and oppression,” Dani Abdullah, a lead organizer with the Center, said in a press release.
The Center is run solely by volunteers.
Circle City Souvenirs
1 S. Capitol Ave., circlecitysouvenirs.com, opened early December
Longtime souvenir store Circle City Souvenirs closed up shop in the declining Circle Centre Mall, but the Indianapolis spot didn’t go far. Circle City Souvenirs is now open in the PNC Center. Owner Kim White told IndyStar the move was bittersweet, as her store had called the mall home since 2017, but she hopes to expand the business in the new location.
PRVT
6020 E 82nd St., Castleton Square Mall, shopatprvt.com, opened early December
Streetwear clothing store PRVT opened in early December next to the Foot Locker at Castleton Square Mall. Owner Daki Glumac also runs a PRVT location at Hamilton Town Center.
Closings
Tuggle’s Gifts & Goods
1029 Virginia Ave., closed Dec. 28
Tuggle’s Gifts and Goods closed in December after five years open on Fountain Square’s main commercial strip. At the store, Brooke and Ross Tuggle sold Indianapolis-themed gifts, creative works made by Indy artists and a variety of knick-knacks.
The Tuggles closed the business to move their family to Kentucky, per a social media post.
“This decision comes from a place of love and excitement,” the Tuggles wrote in an Instagram post. “We’re choosing to slow down, spend more time together as a family, and begin a new chapter as we move to Lexington, Kentucky.”
Red Dog Books
7115 E 46th St., Facebook, closed Dec. 31
Independent bookstore Red Dog Books closed at the end of the year after low sales, multiple moves and high rent made staying open in its storefront on 46th Street unattainable. Red Dog had just opened in the space earlier in spring 2025.
The nonprofit is preparing for a permanent shutdown, unless Red Dog can find a new space with affordable rent and gain support from the community through donations and purchases, a social media post said.
“This community has shown us time and time again that miracles happen when we stand together,” owners wrote in a Facebook post. “Please don’t just remember Red Dog Books. Help us keep it alive.”
WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, the Collector’s Den, Indy Jewelers in Circle Centre Mall
49 W. Maryland St., Circle Centre Mall, closed end of December
At the end of December, Circle Centre Mall’s last tenants left, ending a 30-year run for the downtown shopping center.
A handful of stores — including WNS Apparel, Hot Topic, Aeropostale, Freestyle, Indy Jewelers, the Collector’s Den and Circle City Souvenirs — shuttered as a result. Hendricks Commercial Properties closed down the indoor portion of the mall, including the food court, to prepare for construction as the developer begins work on its $600 million redevelopment named Traction Yards.
Traction Yards will include an elevated outdoor retail experience with space for offices, apartments and potentially a boutique hotel. The overhaul is expected to be completed in phases, with the first section opening in 2029 at the earliest.
Know a store opening or closing in your neighborhood? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at amguffey@usatodayco.com.
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