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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson will be the backup for Daniel Jones to start the 2025 season, the team announced on Tuesday.
Richardson was the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 draft but has struggled with injuries and consistent play, which forced the Colts’ hand just a few weeks before the official start of the regular season. Indianapolis will play the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 7.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. reacts during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Deric Jackson, the quarterback’s agent, responded to the Colts’ decision in a statement to ESPN. He suggested that some of Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s decision-making when it came to his client put the player in a bad position and may have damaged the organization’s credibility.
“Trust is a big factor and that is, at best, questionable right now,” Jackson told the network. “Anthony came back and made the improvements in the areas he needed to improve. And by all accounts, he had a great camp.”
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Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Anthony Richardson Sr. (5), Daniel Jones (17) and Riley Leonard (15) prepare for drills Monday, July 28, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. (Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
He added that when the team needed a big play in 2024, the ball was put into Richardson’s hands. Despite being benched for two games, he had 1,814 passing yards, eight touchdown passes and was 6-5 in the 11 games he started for the team.
Regardless, Steichen chose the former New York Giants player instead of Richardson.
The ex-Florida Gators standout said there were no hard feelings toward the third-year head coach over the decision.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. warms up before a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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“I guess you could say (I was) somewhat surprised, but at the end of the day we all knew somebody was going to have to be on this end of the stick and, you know, it was me,” Richardson said. “I feel like I did improve. My improvement was there, but there are still ways I can improve, still ways I can become a better player, become a starter in the league.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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