The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up the team’s three-day mandatory minicamps on Thursday and the starting quarterback job is still unclear. Anthony Richardson has been out with a sore AC joint so newcomer Daniel Jones took the first-team reps with rookie Riley Leonard filling in occasionally.
It’s not how head coach Shane Steichen envisioned things, but it’s early and there is still a lot of time between now and training camp, which begins July 22nd in Westfield, Indiana. Steichen said Jones has been going a great job so far this offseason.
“Very pleased with what we got right now,” Steichen said Thursday via CBS4 in Indianapolis. “He’s been doing a hell of a job. Really smart football player. Learned the offense very quickly, making really good decisions out there through OTAs. Obviously, we want to carry that over to training camp, but he’s done a really good job. Great command in the huddle. Ultimate pro.”
As for Richardson, he had shoulder surgery after his rookie season in 2023 on the same AC joint that started giving him trouble a few weeks ago.
“Felt some pain in it,” Steichen said in early June. “He’s got some aggravation in his AC joint.
The head coach said they are going to be careful when it comes to getting Richardson back on the field.
“So, we’re going to sit him … we’ll see when he comes back,” Steichen said. “Not going to put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is, he’s not going to need a procedure right now.”
Jones is getting acclimated and learning the offense
After minicamps wrapped up on Thursday, Jones talked about getting comfortable with his new teammates and the new offense. It’s his first chance to be a starter with a team not named the New York Giants.
“I think it’s like you would in any situation,” he said Thursday. “Just learning this offense and getting used to it. So, I’m trying to focus as much on that and then playing good football when I’m on the practice field.”
Jones started 10 games in 2024 with the Giants and was 2-8 during that time. He was released after that and joined the Minnesota Vikings for the remainder of the season, although he never played.
Jones mentioned the importance of “building up reps, the preparation we do in the meeting rooms, the installs, being detailed and specific about our reads. Where we need to be looking at where the receivers are going to be, how we’re seeing certain looks. So, I’ve really enjoyed that part of the learning process and feel like that’s helped on the field. But I’ll continue to learn and grow in my understanding of this offense, and how to execute it. I think it’s been a productive spring from that standpoint.”
Jones will have every chance to win the starting job
Jones is hoping that he can get some more work in with his receivers on his own before training camp starts later next month. It’s important for him to get in some private sessions and get on the same page with his new teammates.
“Yeah, hope to get together and work,” Jones said.
Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said the team did a deep dive into Jones before signing him to a one-year, $14 million contract. They liked what they heard and Cooter said that so far, so good.
“We did our due diligence, calling around background-type stuff,” Cooter said. “With any player we bring in here, we try to do the background and make sure we know sort of what kind of guy we’re bringing in, what his work habits are like, preparation, leadership, communication, teamwork. He’s been as advertised, with the work habits and the preparation and going about his business just day-in, day-out … We’ll come back in training camp and we’ll learn a ton about him … that’ll be a really, really fun process. But he’s done a great job thus far and really sort of lived up to the billing.”
With Richardson out, Jones is in the driver’s seat and will have every chance to get a firm grip on the starting quarterback job.
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