All eyes are on the red jerseys, and the early results are unclear.
Quarterback play is going to be the biggest story from training camp for the Indianapolis Colts. Chris Ballard has set it up to be that way by upping the level of competition at that position. Anthony Richardson has not proven to be an irreplaceable player, so Daniel Jones was brought in to not only push him but to potentially surpass him. All options are currently on the table, yet neither quarterback is running away with the opportunity. In what may be a preview of things to come, the offense has been inconsistent to start.
Since training camp is all about getting better, installing concepts, and building cohesion with new teammates, things can take a minute to get off the ground. Ideally, everything would click from the start, but that simply isn’t realistic. Both Richardson and Jones have struggled to assert themselves as the man to beat with their overall performances leaving much to be desired. Both men have struggled mightily, especially in the redzone, and allowed the revamped defense to shine. The emergence of the defense is a possible silver lining from the QB struggles, but it doesn’t do much to alleviate concerns on that side of the ball.
That was to start camp. Monday’s practice went much better and sounds as if the quarterbacks have turned over a new leaf. Richardson went 10-10 in team drills and even had some impressive throws down the field. Reports are he looked much more comfortable outside the pocket on the move. This needs to be an area of focus this year. Get him out in space to make him the ultimate threat. Being able to complete lasers from the pocket, however, is also an encouraging report because escaping the pocket won’t be possible every snap.
As the quarterbacks continue to rotate between the first offense, Jones will still have his chance to shine. He bounced back slightly with the second team but needs to put that all together with the first unit if he is going to have a chance to be named the starter. He has been in the league for a while, but this is his first stint with the Colts. Adjustments and struggles are to be expected, but time will start to run out if Richardson is able to put together more performances like he did Monday. That would be good news for everyone except Jones.
Considering the overall body of work from which we have to judge both quarterbacks over the course of their careers, did we really expect smooth sailing? Daniel Jones is here for a reason and Anthony Richardson has been pitted against him for another. Both players have something to prove. Both players are fighting to be QB1. Richardson came in with a leg up and is doing what he can to extend that advantage. So far, neither has created enough separation, but if Richardson continues to turn in practices like Monday, it won’t be long before we have a final decision.