Colts QB Battle Heats Up: Shane Steichen Close to Choosing Starter

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback competition is reaching its climax, and head coach Shane Steichen says he is getting close to making a decision. Following a 23-19 preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers, both Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones showed flashes of brilliance along with some mistakes. Steichen’s final call may come a little later than Saturday, but the coach says he is nearing a decision.

"Obviously, you have a quarterback battle with two first-round draft picks," Steichen told reporters. "When they both came in, I made it very clear this is going to be a battle and they are going to compete for the job. I am very close. I will make the decision that I feel is best for the football team."

Jones started against the Packers and played efficiently within Steichen’s system. He completed 7-of-11 passes for 101 yards with a 93.4 passer rating. While he showed some of the same struggles he had in New York, including a missed deep throw to tight end Tyler Warren, Jones also made several precision passes and executed a tight completion to Warren during a second drive.

Jones’ drives resulted in just a field goal despite 77 net yards on his second possession, leaving him with nine points over seven combined preseason drives.

Anthony Richardson took over on the third possession and led three drives in total. He completed 6-of-11 passes for 73 yards with a 75.2 passer rating, but he also delivered the highlight of the game with a 38-yard dart to Anthony Gould, a play nullified by an offensive offsides penalty.

Richardson added a clutch 9-yard run on third down to keep a touchdown drive alive, and through five preseason possessions he has helped the Colts score 13 points.

"I thought he did a nice job," Steichen said of Richardson. "He had that one really good drive there. I thought he did some good things. There are some things to clean up, but he made some good plays out there."

Neither quarterback clearly separated himself on Saturday. Both have displayed good and bad moments throughout camp and two preseason games, so nothing against Green Bay likely tipped the scales in either direction.

Steichen is looking at the full picture, including operations, communication in the huddle, checks, and consistency. Every factor will play a role in the final decision.

Both QBs appear capable of running the offense Steichen wants, despite some inconsistencies. If it comes down to a tiebreaker, Richardson’s status as the Colts’ homegrown first-round pick with a high ceiling could give him the edge.

Regardless of the choice, Steichen says he will pick the quarterback he believes gives the Colts the best chance to win.

"Yeah, I feel pretty clean when I make that decision," Steichen said. "When I make this decision, I am going to do what I feel is best for this football team."