When The Athletic’s annual Quarterback Tiers survey dropped this week, the Indianapolis Colts were in the headlines (and it had nothing to do with a Tier 1 superstar).
According to the panel of 50 NFL coaches and executives, Daniel Jones landed 30th overall with an average Tier 4.0 ranking. In this system, a Tier 4 quarterback is either an unproven player who lacks enough tape for voters to classify, or a veteran ideally not starting all 17 games. Not exactly elite company, but it’s still ahead of Anthony Richardson, who came in 32nd with a Tier 4.2.
The margin may be slim, but the idea is striking: a quarterback signed to be a bridge starter is viewed more favorably, at least for now, than the former No. 4 overall pick the Colts see as their future.
Jones Gets the Slight Edge
GettyIn his first preseason game, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones completed 10 of 21 passes for 144 yards.
Jones retained his Tier 4 status from last year, and while his average slipped slightly, voters still see him as the more dependable of the two Indianapolis passers in the short term. One likely factor: his body of work. Even after an uneven stint with the Giants, Jones has started 60 career games, guided a playoff run, and earned a reputation as a functional, if limited, starter when surrounded by the right pieces.
That experience matters in a league where availability and decision making under pressure can outweigh raw athletic upside. Jones has shown he can manage an offense, protect the football in spurts, and execute within structure, qualities evaluators often value when the alternative is a talented but largely unproven player.
However, his Colts debut this preseason was nothing to be excited about. Jones completed 10 of 21 passes for 144 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions, playing five drives after Anthony Richardson left with an injury.
Richardson Still Searching for Traction
GettyIn the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason opener, Anthony Richardson played briefly before exiting with a finger injury.
Richardson’s placement is more a reflection of availability than ability. Injuries have limited him to a small sample size in his first two seasons, making it hard for evaluators to slot him higher.
That doesn’t mean the league is down on him long term. Several anonymous voters in past editions have praised his rare athletic ceiling and the stress his skill set can put on a defense. But until Richardson strings together a healthy season, proves he can stay poised in late game passing situations, and shows growth in reading defenses, he’ll remain an unknown.
On paper, Jones ranks ahead of Richardson in August, making it more of a curiosity than a controversy. Shane Steichen built his offense to take advantage of Richardson’s dual-threat skill set, and if the young QB stays healthy, he’ll have every chance to reclaim the starting job.
Still, this year’s QB Tiers provide a snapshot of how the Colts quarterback room is viewed around the league. And for a team that hopes 2025 marks the start of a sustained rise in the AFC, that dynamic will be worth watching.
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