INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — There’s seemingly a new sheriff in town. Well, not that Sheriff. No one replaces Peyton Manning in the eyes of Colts fans.
Nevertheless, the Horseshoe prepares to kick off veteran minicamp on Tuesday with Daniel Jones taking the majority — if not all — the starting quarterback reps as Anthony Richardson is sidelined with a right shoulder injury.
Head coach Shane Steichen said Richardson will be out “for the foreseeable future.” In the meantime, Daniel Jones has the opportunity to solidify his position as the starting quarterback.
Jones — who was signed by the Colts on a one-year, $14 million deal — has been acclimating to the team’s offense over the past few months.
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“He’s been great. He’s done a really nice job for us, obviously, acclimating to the offense, learning the system,” Steichen said. “Obviously, (he’s) a smart guy, understands it. He’s picked it up real nice, and he’s done some good things so far.”
“He’s a veteran guy that comes in and works early, late nights, does all the right things.”
General manager Chris Ballard brought in Jones primarily to create competition for Richardson. With Richardson’s absence, Jones will take the majority of starter reps leading up to training camp next month.
Steichen noted that Jones has picked up the Colts’ system well and has shown positive attributes during his time with the team.
As the Colts prepare for the upcoming season, Jones’ performance in minicamp could play a crucial role in determining the team’s starting quarterback.
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“We’ll see how it plays out,” Steichen said.
The Colts hold veteran minicamp Tuesday through Thursday at the team’s Indianapolis training facility. Training camp will begin July 22 at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.
Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts in action against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
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The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2026 NFL offseason needing to make a decision about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones.
After signing Jones last offseason to a one-year deal in free agency, the Colts liked what they saw from him in 2025. Unfortunately, his season came to an end early after he went down with a torn Achilles.
Before suffering that injury, Jones played in 13 games. He completed 68 percent of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while also running for 164 yards and five more touchdowns.
Jones was a free agent entering the offseason. Indianapolis moved quickly to lock him in. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a massive two-year, $88 million contract.
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Whether or not the move will pay off remains to be seen. It’s a big risk for Indianapolis, but Jones showed the potential of being a legitimate franchise quarterback before the injury occurred.
Colts Under Fire After Huge Daniel Jones Contract Decision
Chris Ballard and the Colts may be confident in Jones’ ability to be their starter moving forward. Not everyone agrees with the contract the team gave him.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has named the move as one of the worst of the NFL offseason.
“Maybe Jones will be ready for Week 1 despite the severity of the injury. Maybe he can repeat last year’s success despite his struggles in New York. Maybe he’s the next Sam Darnold,” Davenport wrote.
“Or maybe the Colts should have let Jones play out the 2026 season on the transition tag while they saw how all those ‘maybes’ played out.”
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Last season, Jones faced a lot of doubt as well. After his rocky tenure with the New York Giants, no one could be blamed for having reservations about the quarterback. However, after the way he played in 2025, Indianapolis feels good about its decision.
Indianapolis Has Had a Wild NFL Offseason So Far
Outside of the Jones move, the Colts have been very busy this offseason.
Along with re-signing Jones, the team also brought back wide receiver Alec Pierce. In order to make that move happen, they had to pay out a four-year deal worth $114 million.
Plenty of other moves have been made as well. Indianapolis traded star linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and added pieces like defensive end Arden Key, defensive end Micheal Clemons, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, among others.
Most recently, the Colts have been hit with a trade request from cornerback Kenny Moore.
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Only time will tell how the team’s offseason moves pan out. Indianapolis has taken some risk this offseason and still has holes to fill. However, the Colts looked like one of the best teams in the NFL during the first half of the 2025 season and may not be far off from Super Bowl contention.
Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — Police are investigating after one person was injured in a shooting at an Indianapolis Kroger store, per WTHR.
Crews were called to the store at 680 Twin Aire Drive on the east side of the city around 7 p.m. Saturday. When they arrived, they found one man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s preliminary investigation determined the shooting was targeted and started over an argument about Pokémon cards.
A person of interest was detained at the scene, but police say they are still working to confirm if they had any involvement in the shooting.
INDIANAPOLIS — An 86-year-old survived a heavy fire after it ripped through several apartments Sunday morning, according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.
This happened inside the independent living section within the Rosegate Commons American Senior Community. Firefighters say the man was slightly hurt, and he told them he heard a smoke alarm sounding for over 30 minutes but dismissed it, believing it was the neighbor’s alarm.
Firefighters arrived on Rosegate Lane, near South Emerson Avenue and East Southport Road, at around 4:45 a.m., and they found heavy fire showing through the roof. Crews were initially unaware the man was still inside the building. After firefighters had been working to put out the blaze for 25 minutes, the man fully awoke and tried to evacuate. As he reached for the front door, the roof collapsed, and burning debris landed on him. He managed to exit through the back of the structure, where he was met by firefighters.
The man and one firefighter were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
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The fire was brought under control just before 5:30 a.m. Investigators believe the cause may have been electrical in nature, originating in the attic. Of the six apartment homes affected, five are considered a total loss, while one sustained exterior damage. Aside from the injured people, four others were able to escape safely. A parrot was also rescued unharmed.
Firefighters say if you ever hear a smoke alarm go off, never ignore it, especially in the middle of the night. They urge you to get out of the building if you see smoke and fire and call 911.
