The Colts still don’t have a clear answer on who will sit behind Daniel Jones when the season starts, and Shane Steichen is in no hurry to force one.
The backup quarterback battle between Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson is rolling right through the preseason, with the coach saying Thursday he’s prepared to let it breathe a little longer. “Yeah, I don’t have a timetable on that,” Steichen said, via Nathan Brown of the Indy Star.
“I’m going to let that thing play out. Like I said, we’ve got two more weeks.
We’ve got this preseason game. We’ve got practice, all that stuff and then we’ll see where it goes.”
The setup has been as even as the Colts can make it. Richardson, a first-round pick in 2023, and Leonard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, have both gotten real chances to win the job. On Saturday, Leonard will open with the second-team offense in the first half, while Richardson, who started last week, will work with the third team after halftime.
Jones is not expected to play in the preseason, which means the competition between Leonard and Richardson gets one more live audition before the Colts make their call.
Steichen said he likes what he has seen from both quarterbacks so far. “I thought they both had a good camp,” Steichen said of Richardson and Leonard. “I mean, there were some ups and downs, but I think you saw flashes of both of them, which was really exciting.”
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DeForest Buckners Comeback Leaves Colts Waiting On One Crucial Test
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The Colts are still treating his comeback with caution, easing him into practice while managing his workload and avoiding unnecessary risk. For a defense that leans on Buckners presence in the middle, the final check is less about whether he wants to play and more about how his body responds as the opener draws closer. [Read more 🡒]
Colts May Have Found The Veteran Answer To A Growing WR Problem
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The timing of the signing says plenty about how quickly the picture changed for the passing game. With the wideout corps losing some of its early reliability and the offense needing another proven target, Allen gives the Colts a familiar solution while leaving open the bigger question of how quickly he can get up to speed and fit into the mix. [Read more 🡒]