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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said he was caught off guard by the Indianapolis Colts’ decision to name veteran quarterback Daniel Jones as their starter over Anthony Richardson.
On a recent episode of the St. Brown Podcast, the All-Pro receiver reflected on the surprise quarterback move.
“To me it was a shocker. Daniel Jones was named starting quarterback for the Colts over Anthony Richardson, who was in his third year,” St. Brown said. “A guy that got drafted, I think top five for the Colts, in his third year, like alright let’s bench him.”
The Colts selected Richardson, 23, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In two seasons, the Florida product totaled 2,391 passing yards with an 11-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 50.6% of his passes on 348 attempts. He holds an 8-7 career record and a 67.8 passer rating across 15 games.
Richardson has also been effective on the ground, rushing for 635 yards and 10 touchdowns on 111 carries. However, ball security has remained an issue as he recorded nine fumbles, losing two. His tenure in Indianapolis has been marked by inconsistency and speculation about his long-term role as the franchise’s starter.
Jones, 28, enters his seventh NFL season after stints with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Drafted No. 6 overall by New York in 2019, he appeared in 70 games for the Giants, throwing for 14,582 yards and 70 touchdowns with 47 interceptions. His career completion percentage stands at 64.1%, and his passer rating is 84.3.
Jones holds a 24-45-1 record as a starter but is credited with one playoff victory, a 31-24 road win over the Vikings in the 2022 postseason. While his mobility has been a strength — totaling 2,179 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns — turnovers have also been an issue. He has seven career fumbles lost on 399 rushing attempts.
The veteran quarterback finished the 2024 season on Minnesota’s roster but did not appear in a game after a midseason release from New York. His return as a starter now comes in Indianapolis, where the Colts opted for experience over developing their young signal-caller.
St. Brown recalled learning the news in the Lions’ locker room following a practice session.
“Low key I was like damn. We were in the locker room. We just got out of practice and one of my teammates was like, ‘Bro did you see that Daniel Jones is the starting quarterback.’ I was like, ‘That is crazy.’ If you actually think about it how he jumped around from different teams and now he’s a starter again.”
The Colts, still searching for stability at quarterback, will finish their preseason slate Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Rookie quarterbacks Riley Leonard and Jason Bean are expected to see extended playing time in the finale before the team shifts focus...
