“We’re going to honor this season for Jim, and we’re going to win,” Indianapolis Colts HC Shane Steichen took an oath last month after team owner Jim Irsay passed away. But as fate would have it, for QB Anthony Richardson, injuries come at the most inopportune moments. Just two weeks ago, news broke that soreness in his right shoulder would prevent his attendance at the mandatory minicamp, the same shoulder that needed an AC joint surgery during his rookie year. Perception and narratives don’t take long to firmly establish themselves, and it’s about as simple and cutthroat as it gets in the NFL. 

Don’t think that it wasn’t on their radar, though, which is precisely why GM Chris Ballard signed veteran QB Daniel Jones in the spring to add a QB competition during the offseason. On the other hand, for Jones, jumping ships made sense. He came to Indy having turned down an opportunity to return to Minnesota, where he spent the majority of last season on their practice squad, and knowing he had a better chance at the starting position as Richardson tries to get better. Recent reports state the latter will be ready for training camp. Despite that, Jones has quickly learned the offense. Just hear the HC out: “He’s done a really nice job for us acclimating to the offense, learning the system. Obviously, a smart guy, [he] understands it. He’s picked it up real nice, and he’s done some good things so far.”

As he took all of the first-team snaps during mandatory minicamp, and with the 2023 first-round pick sidelined again, it made a strong case for Steichen to craft his game plan around Jones as the starting QB for the upcoming season. Let’s just say, there’s visible positive momentum for the player, and Jones is feeding off of it. So, who might actually take the first snap in Week 1? An interesting prediction from a former Colts QB, Matt Hasselbeck, who knows a thing or two about high-stakes QB battles, just made a stunning call in a new episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd. 

“Now, Anthony Richardson isn’t able to throw… he’s got a complication from an AC joint. To me, Daniel Jones is going to be the starting quarterback in Indianapolis, no question about it. 

“I think that this is a chance for him to reinvent his career. He can have a Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, like one of those reinvents. He is a pretty good runner, and listen, Shane Steichen, think about what he did with Jalen Hurts in Philly. Daniel Jones is an underrated runner. He rushed for like 700 yards the year the Giants went to the playoffs, that playoff season that they had. I think this is a great opportunity for Daniel Jones. Remember, he reminded a lot of people of the Manning family. Obviously, Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts. You know, that kind of vibe is what they are used to. 

“I think the upside is there with Anthony Richardson. No doubt about that. But there are some things that I think give some people some pause. I don’t know if he’ll be able to come back with that organization from tapping out when he was out of breath after a scramble. That was a big misfire to a lot of people.”

Well, Colts‘ fans may agree with Hasselbeck about Daniel Jones.

1. Jones has carried that ball 399 times for 2,179 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground.
2. HC Steichen intends to run the ball. And Jones is a capable runner, which makes him fit like a jigsaw puzzle. The QB’s 2022 rushing metrics alone show he has the potential: 708 yards on 120 carries and seven touchdowns. With the team drafting DJ Giddens and signing veteran Khalil Herbert to the backfield to help Jonathan Taylor, they will have several ways of attacking the opposition’s defense.
3. While Steichen has found success in coaching QBs like Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts, things have been rough with Richardson. However, Daniel Jones comes with experience and accuracy—things that the coach can use to bring out the best in him.

So, while Richardson rehabs his balky shoulder, the Giants castoff brings something Richardson can’t right now: Reliability. Jones has 69 NFL starts under his belt, way higher than Richardson, who has missed more games (17) than he ever started (15) in his two NFL seasons so far. While everyone debates Anthony Richardson’s health and Daniel Jones’ resurgence, Hasselbeck cut through the noise with a blunt prediction: “It’s an open competition. One guy’s healthy right now and the other guy’s not.” All in all, Jones, the $14 million insurance policy for the franchise, suddenly looks like the safer option. And most importantly, Daniel is on the gridiron while Richardson watches.