Sportsnaut
Is the Anthony Richardson era officially over in Indianapolis? In a surprising move, the Colts have named Daniel Jones their Week 1 starter over the fourth-overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport called it a “dramatic shift” for the Colts.
Daniel Jones is the #Colts starter, as the organization makes a dramatic shift away from Anthony Richardson. https://t.co/2cy2WuVpfy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 19, 2025
Richardson struggled mightily in 2024 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during his rookie season, when he played only four games. Last year, Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes for 1,814 yards, with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games.
He was benched at one point before being reinserted into the starting lineup. Richardson also came under fire for tapping out of a game against the Houston Texans during a third-down play because he was fatigued.
In two preseason games this year, Richardson completed nine of 14 passes for 94 yards and no touchdowns. According to IndyStar’s Joel Erickson, Richardson completed 59.1% of his passes in training camp, compared to Jones’ 68.8%.
Jones, selected sixth overall by the New York Giants in 2019, signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts this offseason as the Indianapolis front office sought to bring in competition for Richardson. The Giants released Jones last year after he went 2-8 in 10 games. In six seasons, he has a 24-44-1 record, completing 64.1% of his passes for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions.
The Colts face the Miami Dolphins in their season opener on Sunday, Sept. 7.
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