Anthony Richardson's pursuit of the Colts' starting quarterback job took an early hit — literally — when he was knocked out of the team's preseason opener with a finger injury. Jones, however, failed to separate himself, setting the stage for a critical second showing against Green Bay.
After avoiding serious injury, Richardson arrived at Saturday's game looking for redemption. The third-year quarterback has had an up-and-down training camp, according to reports, impressing with some booming throws while missing others. That's what the Colts have come to expect from Richardson, but their hope is he can soon make a long-awaited leap.
New Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said during Saturday's game that she believed the competition between Richardson and Jones brought the best out of each quarterback. "Shane [Steichen] is going to have to make a tough decision, but I feel confident he’s going to make the right decision," she said.
After Saturday's game, Steichen said he is "very close" to a quarterback decision and would like to make a decision soon.
Here's an updated look at the Colts' quarterback depth chart.
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Colts QB depth chart
| QB | Player |
| 1 | Daniel Jones |
| 2 | Anthony Richardson |
| 3 | Riley Leonard |
| 4 | Jason Bean |
The Colts named Jones their starter on Tuesday, sending Richardson back to the bench after he was replaced by Joe Flacco during the middle of the 2024 season.
Jones, who signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis in March, finished 2024 in Minnesota after requesting his release from the Giants. Jones signed a four-year, $160 million deal to stay in New York after a breakout 2022 season but failed to build on it, tearing his ACL in 2023 after a slow start and struggling mightily early in 2024.
Former Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard and former Kansas QB Jason Bean are competing to be Indianapolis' No. 3 quarterback, with Leonard the favorite after the Colts used a draft pick on him in April. Leonard also entered the Colts' most recent preseason game third, coming in after Richardson's day was done.
Here's a look at how Richardson and Jones each made their final impression in the preseason.
MORE: Tracking the Browns' QB battle after second preseason game
Anthony Richardson stats vs. Packers
- Completions/Attempts: 6/11
- Passing yards: 73
- Touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 0
- Rushing attempts: 1
- Rushing yards: 9
The final numbers on Richardson's day don't jump off the page, but the third-year QB had some promising moments — including a 38-yard completion to Anthony Gould that was erased by a penalty on his final drive of the day.
Richardson went 5-of-6 for 64 yards on a touchdown drive in his first action of the day, showing the kind of poise and accuracy that the Colts have been looking for. After a Packers fumble set up the Colts just outside of the red zone, however, Richardson went 1-of-4 and failed to get Indianapolis to 1st-and-goal, let alone into the end zone.
Richardson's best pass of the day was the one that didn't count, and he largely avoided crushing mistakes. The former No. 4 pick didn't flash his mobility often after exiting last week's game with a finger injury, but he did absorb one sack.
MORE: Shedeur Sanders oblique injury recovery timeline: How long Browns rookie will be out
Anthony Richardson highlights
Anthony Richardson placed this deep ball perfectly
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dPQXQl1dc4
Daniel Jones stats vs. Packers
- Completions/Attempts: 7/11
- Passing yards: 101
- Touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 0
- Rushing attempts: 1
- Rushing yards: 0
- Fumbles: 1
Jones showed flashes in Saturday's game, starting out with 19-yard pass to Mo Alie-Cox and later hitting Tyler Warren and Michael Pittman Jr. for big gains. Jones notably got to work with the Colts' starting weapons, while Richardson saw work with the second team.
The lowest moment for Jones was a near disaster on his first drive, when he fumbled but was able to recover. Jones dealt with ball security issues during his time with the Giants.
After a mostly inaccurate Colts debut, Jones was more efficient and avoided turnovers against Green Bay — though a touchdown drive eluded him. This performance, it turned out, was enough to seal the starting job over Richardson.
Daniel Jones highlights
Tyler Warren down the sideline from Daniel Jones!
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/S0wrhDePFD