Stampede Blue
Both quarterbacks vying to emerge as the Indianapolis Colts starter for the 2025 season opener had an opportunity to make a statement Thursday, but neither signal caller seized the moment to separate from their counterpart.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen has not reached a decision after three weeks of camp, but the overall performances in Thursday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s preseason game could determine the outcome of the QB competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. When the Colts face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 2 preseason game, Jones will start and is expected to play about two series before Richardson takes over to close out the rest of the first half.
The Colts hosted the Packers for a joint-practice Thursday to close the seventh edition of training camp at Grand Park. Indianapolis’ fourth overall draft pick from the 2023 NFL Draft executed a strong drive to lead the first-team offense 60 yards downfield on the final team session, which started with just 1:12 left on the clock. Richardson fired into a tight window and hit receiver Michael Pittman Jr. on a slant for an explosive gain to move the offense into Packers territory. Indianapolis’ third-year quarterback showed a sense of urgency to get the next play off, then rifled his next pass to Colts rookie Tyler Warren before the All-American standout even turned around. Warren showcased excellent anticipation to secure the catch with his hands to march just outside of the red zone.
After receiver Adonai Mitchell drew a pass interference penalty inside the end zone, which placed the Colts near the goal line, Richardson fed running back Jonathan Taylor to cap the final drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown and under 10 seconds left. On the two-point attempt, Richardson escaped the pass rush and scrambled right outside the pocket to deliver a dart to Pittman in the end zone for a successful conversion.
Perhaps the most thrilling session was the 1-on-1 battles operating at the same time on adjacent fields between the Colts receivers against the Packers defensive backs on Field 1, while the Packers receiving corps lined up against the Colts defensive backs on Field 2. A pair of Texas products dominated their 1-on-1 matchups as Mitchell left his defender in the dust on a comeback route, then rose up to high-point a deep ball on his second rep, which earned a massive ovation from the faithful stampede in the grandstands. Packers rookie receiver Matthew Golden had several intense, back-and-forth reps while matched up opposite Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward. Richardson delivered the best highlight from the 1-on-1 drills when he floated a perfect fade down the right sideline and receiver Anthony Gould made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone.
It took a while for Jones to find some rhythm with the second unit after he commanded strictly run plays in the initial team period. When Jones took over the first unit, three of his first...
