Colts name Jones starter for Week 1
The Indianapolis Colts will start quarterback Daniel Jones in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins, the team announced Tuesday.
"He's the starting quarterback for the season," head coach Shane Steichen said of Jones, according to the IndyStar's Joel A. Erickson. "I don't want to have a short leash on that."
The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14-million contract in the offseason. General manager Chris Ballard said Jones and Anthony Richardson would compete for the starting job.
The 28-year-old will be Indianapolis' sixth different Week 1 starter since 2019. The New York Giants selected Jones in the first round of the 2019 draft, and he's started 69 games during his six-year career.
The Giants released Jones in late November, a few days after they benched him in favor of Tommy DeVito. He joined the Vikings' practice squad a week later, but never played a game for Minnesota. Jones' 24-44-1 record during his time in New York is the lowest winning percentage for a quarterback with at least 50 starts since 2019.
Richardson will begin the campaign as Jones' backup. The 2023 fourth overall pick was benched for two contests last season after a rough start to the year. Of 38 quarterbacks who have taken at least 490 snaps since 2023, Richardson ranks 35th in success rate and last in completion percentage, according to Ben Baldwin's database.
The 23-year-old Richardson has also struggled to stay healthy since entering the league. He made only four appearances as a rookie after undergoing shoulder surgery and missed time last year due to a back injury.
"You gotta respect the decision," Richardson said Tuesday, according to Kevin Bowen of 1075 The Fan. "They feel like he's (Jones) a better fit for the team, better fit for the outcome of us winning, so you just gotta respect it and keep working.
"That doesn't undermine any of the work that I've been putting in. It doesn't say that I haven't improved. I'm proud of the improvement I've made."
Jones has thrown for over 14,500 yards in 70 career contests. He's also added 2,179 rushing yards with 85 total touchdowns.
Indianapolis will kick off its season on Sept. 7.