A quarterback competition is raging in Westfield, Indiana. Chris Ballard intended it to be this way. The battle for the number one spot on the depth chart at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts is shaping up to be just how the general manager saw it from the beginning. Is the competition following the natural course set before it, or is it more of a self-fulfilling prophecy that is sweeping over the head coach? Either way, the man in charge of the franchise in 2025, Shane Steichen, has yet to make a decision regarding who will start on day one.
Neither quarterback has completely awed the coaching staff. Neither man has completely fallen on his face either. It has been a training camp filled with highs and lows, where the only thing that has been consistent is inconsistency. Anthony Richardson has had more flashes, yet Daniel Jones has displayed a steadier hand. Both are needed to be truly successful in the NFL, but neither quarterback can seem to put it all together day in and day out. It is always a question of how much posturing Steichen or any head coach for that matter does when it comes to decisions such as this, but neither player is making it easy on him.
The favorite to start day one has to be Richardson as Jones hasn’t shown enough at this point to upend the incumbent. Steichen was given a quarterback competition and is under no real timeline to name a starter until the last moment, however. While it seems a starter could be named now, the question is, why? Jones will start against the Packers, and Richardson will take over to play the majority of the first half. It follows the script that has been set for a while now. There is no need for Steichen to deviate and no reason for him to preemptively name a starter when he can still collect data and analysis. This is a major decision that could alter the franchise. It could cost people their jobs or make them stars. Get this decision wrong and it could be Steichen’s last as a head coach for the Colts. Get it wrong and he won’t be the only head that rolls.
With zero pressure and plenty of time and opportunity to evaluate, it should be expected, although potentially frustrating at times, that no decision has yet been reached. The game against the Packers on Saturday will be the last big test of the offseason for both players, but it doesn’t mean it will produce an automatic response from Shane Steichen regarding the direction of the franchise at quarterback. There will be ample opportunity to sit back and further evaluate. A starter will be named before the Colts kick off against the Dolphins on September 7th. That much we know. It is just the when, what is taking so long, and the who, we will have to ponder until then.
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