Daniel Jones, who inked a two-year contract this offseason, is the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback. His caddy remains a question.
Given that Jones is coming off a season-ending injury, the next man in line is a key element for a club trying to get to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Currently, Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson are set to battle for the gig. Seth Henigan is also on the roster.
Leonard, a 2025 sixth-round pick, started Week 18 last year after the Colts were eliminated from postseason contention. He looked like a steak that could use more seasoning in that outing, completing 61.8 percent of his passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Richardson's history is well documented. The No. 4 overall pick entered the NFL in 2023 with a tantalizing skill set but little college experience. He's been injured and inaccurate when on the field. He's started just 15 games in three seasons -- 11 coming in 2024 -- with zero starts last year before suffering a freak injury that ended his season. Richardson requested a trade in the offseason, but with no takers, is forced to play things out in Indy.
With Jones still in rehab, the two will get plenty of reps to prove worthy of the backup gig.
"We're going about our business the way that we do, going through drills and routes on air, working through some walkthrough tempo things," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said on Wednesday,
Cooter noted that it's "still early" and "too soon" for either to claim the gig, as is the case with any backup role. But the Colts know there are a lot of eyeballs on the battle.
"I think with every position, may the best man win, so whether you're a starter or a primary backup or carving out a role for a certain spot or position that could help us on Sundays, we love competition. We preach competition," the Colts OC said. "If you earn something around here, you should take advantage of that with that role.
"We'll have a lot of reps as we go, and in the offseason and training camp, I'll be saying a lot of these same phrases to you, but these guys will be competing, and shoot, we want the guy who will best help the Colts in whatever competition he's in to win that thing, and we'll give them ample opportunity, as far as we go with reps and all that stuff."
Jones' career has been littered with various injuries, from ankle to hamstring to neck to knee to leg fracture to Achilles. Given that he's only played more than 14 games once in seven years, the chances are significant that the Colts will have to play their backup at some point this season. Since Indy is trying to get back to the postseason for the first time since COVID, one might suggest that a more stable backup is a priority.
For now, Indy will forge forward with Leonard and Richardson battling to be the next man in line. If neither steps up and swipes the job, the Colts could be in the market to add a veteran during camp or after final cuts to secure the spot. They can't keep counting on quadragenarian high school coaches to take their calls.
