Anthony Richardson probably did not have much to say. Just two years after taking over as the Indianapolis Colts‘ starting quarterback position from Gardner Minshew, the 23-year-old has been replaced by the newly acquired Daniel Jones, who is likely to start Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins on September 7.
For Richardson, this is the latest setback in his short career. He had ended the streak of inconsistencies in the Colts’ quarterback decision-making last year. Before him, Indy had a different opening-day starter every year from 2017-23.
Anthony Richardson made four starts as a rookie before needing a season-ending shoulder surgery in 2023. Last year, he was benched for two games. He completed 47.7% of his throws, the lowest percentage of any regular starter in the league, and had 12 interceptions and eight touchdown passes in 2024.
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Reacting to the latest Daniel Jones decision, Richardson simply said: “You have to respect the decision.”
“They feel like he’s a better fit for the team and the outcome of us winning. You have to respect it and keep working. It doesn’t undermine any of the work I’ve put in. It doesn’t say I haven’t improved. I’m proud of the improvement I’ve made.”
“I guess you could say (I was) somewhat surprised, but at the end of the day we all knew somebody was going to have to be on this end of the stick and, you know, it was me,” he added.
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Daniel Jones gets the starting job, finally
The Colts have ended a scary nine-month period for Daniel Jones, who lost the starting job with the New York Giants. The Minnesota Vikings signed him five days later, but Jones never took a snap for a team.
Instead of re-signing him, the Vikings allowed Jones to test free agency. He wound up signing a one-year, $14 million contract with Indy because of the opportunity to compete with Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, for the starting job.
(With AP inputs)
