INDIANAPOLIS – This wasn’t the way a consequential offseason was supposed to end.
Not with Daniel Jones running the No. 1 offense on the final mandatory minicamp practice, then rookie Riley Leonard stepping in.
And certainly not with Anthony Richardson Sr. missing a sixth practice after experiencing soreness in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. He occasionally flipped a football in the air and took mental reps instead of furthering his cause in the open competition with Jones to determine the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback.
But here they are.
Jones has maximized two months of work with his new team – there already seems to be a connection with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, rookie Tyler Warren and others – and shown the efficiency that was evident but not nearly enough during his six seasons with the New York Giants.
The football generally came out of his hands quickly and decisively, and found its intended target.
“Very pleased with what we got right now,’’ Shane Steichen said after a Thursday practice that ended the Colts’ offseason work at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. “He’s been doing a helluva job. Really smart football player. Learned the offense very quickly, making really good decisions out there through OTAs. Obviously, we want to carry that over to training camp, but he’s done a really good job. Great command in the huddle. Ultimate pro.’’
Those were the traits general manager Chris Ballard, Steichen and coordinator Jim Bob Cooter noticed during a search in January and February for a viable veteran to push the oft-injured and inconsistent Richardson.
The search led to Jones and it cost a one-year, $14 million contract.
Jones was assured he would be given a legitimate shot at earning the starting position, and that’s been the case.
However, the pause button was punched on the open competition May 29 when Richardson informed the team he was experiencing soreness in his right shoulder. That’s the same shoulder that required season-ending surgery Oct. 24, 2023, to address a grade-2 sprain to the AC joint.
At the time, the Colts believed surgery, not rest, was the best course of action. They were convinced that surgery by Dr. Neal ElAttrache would be a long-term remedy.
Richardson had no issues with the shoulder in 2024, but that changed last month.
“Felt some pain in it,’’ Steichen said earlier this month. “He’s got some aggravation in his AC joint.
“So, we’re going to sit him . . . we’ll see when he comes back. Not going to put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into throwing and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is, he’s not going to need a procedure right now.’’
It’s impossible to predict when or how the open competition will resume.
Players report to training camp in Westfield on July 22. The preseason opener is Aug. 7 at Baltimore. The regular-season opener is Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins.
Regardless of how anyone handicapped the Richardson vs. Jones battle a few months ago, Jones is the guy until Richardson is able to re-engage.
Steichen has refused to offer a target date to determine his starting quarterback. Richardson’s latest injury – he’s missed 17 of 34 games because of injury – only further muddles the water.
Jones has kept his head down and gone about his business.
“I think it’s like you would in any situation,’’ he said Thursday. “Just learning this offense and getting used to it. So, I’m trying to focus as much on that and then playing good football when I’m on the practice field.’’
Jones mentioned the value of “building up reps, the preparation we do in the meeting rooms, the installs, being detailed and specific about our reads. Where we need to be looking at where the receivers are going to be, how we’re seeing certain looks. So, I’ve really enjoyed that part of the learning process and feel like that’s helped on the field. But I’ll continue to learn and grow in my understanding of this offense, and how to execute it. I think it’s been a productive spring from that standpoint.’’
While Richardson rests his shoulder and awaits clearance from the medical staff to resume throwing, Jones will continue to work on getting familiar with Steichen’s offense and his new teammates.
At some point between now and July 22, he and some of his receivers will get together for throwing sessions.
“Yeah, hope to get together and work,’’ Jones said.
The more he works and the longer Richardson is idle, the more likely it is Jones emerges from the open competition. The notion of the Colts easing Richardson into training camp once he’s cleared involves an uncertain timeline.
Will he be on a pitch count? When might he be able to endure full workloads on consecutive days?
Jones’ presence has to ease concerns regarding Richardson’s availability.
Despite being discarded by the Giants last November – Jones was 24-44-1 as a starter – he had his moments when he was surrounded by a competitive roster.
In 2022, Jones led the Giants to a 9-7-1 record, a wild-card berth and a first-round playoff win at Minnesota. He passed for a career-high 3,205 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, and set the Giants’ single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 708 yards.
Running back Saquon Barkler was a co-catalyst with 1,302 yards and 10 TDs.
The rest of the time, Jones lacked support. It’s not a stretch to insist Indy offers the most competent supporting cast of his career.
Rookie sensation Malik Nabers piled up 109 receptions and 1,204 yards for the Giants in 2024, which saw Jones benched after 10 games. In the previous five seasons, no Giants receiver had more than 66 receptions or 770 yards.
And then there was the Giants’ total inability to protect the No. 6 overall pick in 2019. In six seasons and 70 games, Jones was sacked 208 times. Only Russell Wilson (261) and Baker Mayfield (225) have been sacked more since 2019.
The Colts looked extensively at the good and the bad as they studied Jones.
“We did our due diligence, calling around background-type stuff,’’ Cooter said. “With any player we bring in here, we try to do the background and make sure we know sort of what kind of guy we’re bringing in, what his work habits are like, preparation, leadership, communication, teamwork. He’s been as advertised, with the work habits and the preparation and going about his business just day-in, day-out . . . We’ll come back in training camp and we’ll learn a ton about him . . . that’ll be a really, really fun process. But he’s done a great job thus far and really sort of lived up to the billing.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.