Colts signing quarterback Daniel Jones makes history in the worst way as NFL free agency move worsens Anthony Richardson outlook
The sad truth about the Indianapolis Colts is that they have been a revolving door of never ending disappointment at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired.Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers tried their best as veteran band-aid options for the Colts in 2019 and 2020, but couldn't push the team over the top. Carson Wentz attempted to […]
The sad truth about the Indianapolis Colts is that they have been a revolving door of never ending disappointment at quarterback since Andrew Luck retired.
Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers tried their best as veteran band-aid options for the Colts in 2019 and 2020, but couldn't push the team over the top. Carson Wentz attempted to revive his career in Indianapolis, but he ultimately wasn't the solution either. Matt Ryan was clearly cooked on arrival. And Gardner Minshew was, well, Gardner Minshew. Surely things would get better after all that mess, right? Unfortunately, no.
Now, it already seems as though the once-assumed savior of the franchise in Anthony Richardson might already be on his way to complete letdown territory as well. The signing of Daniel Jones via NFL free agency this week by the Colts just further solidifies that likely truth.
If head coach Shane Steichen really wanted to have an open competition at quarterback during training camp and Daniel Jones is somehow the "solution" there, then the writing is already on the wall for Anthony Richardson. In fact, by signing Daniel Jones, general manager Chris Ballard made history in the worst way imaginable, locking in a true lose-lose situation at quarterback in 2025.
Daniel Jones versus Anthony Richardson is Lose-Lose
First off, most NFL fans likely don't understand just how horrible both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson were as passers even when they were coming into the league as rookies. Don't believe that? Well, the unfortunate history-making nature of the Jones' signing is that the Colts now have the two worst passing profiles among all first round quarterbacks selected in the NFL Draft over the last 25 years.
Yes, Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson posted 41st and 36th percentile scheme adjusted pass efficiency profiles as NFL Draft prospects when they were coming into the league. And that's not just compared to quarterbacks drafted; that's compared to every FBS college football quarterback with at least 100+ pass attempts in a season. The physical upside was clearly there with both, but the league took chances on them based on potential, not proven or verified meaningful production.
Now, multiple seasons of play into both of their careers, Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson still look like some of the worst passing quarterbacks in the NFL. Yet somehow one of them is supposed to be the solution in Indianapolis.
Yes, they both offer some decent rushing upside. Richardson and Jones rank 6th and 12th respectively among all NFL quarterbacks in rushing success rate over the last four seasons. However, it's not their athleticism that's ever been in question. It's their ability to pass accurately with consistency and execute an offense efficiently that seems to be the problem.
Anthony Richardson ranks 42nd among all NFL passers (65 different QBs) with at least 300 total plays over the last four seasons in total adjusted net yards per attempt. Jones ranks 54th. For those unfamiliar with the metric, it takes into account the total net yardage per play (including passing, sack yards, and rush yards) for quarterbacks and is one of the most predictive measures of future and repeated NFL success.
From a strictly passing point of view, the script is flipped just a bit. Daniel Jones ranks 42nd in pass success rate. Richardson, 59th. Same story with Passer Rating as Daniel Jones ranks 45th, and Richardson at 64th (yes, out of 65 qualifying QBs over the last four years).
The quarterback situation is obviously less than ideal from both a passing and total contributions standpoint, even when we include rushing.
Perhaps one of these quarterbacks magically puts it all together in 2025 and becomes something they have never been, but it looks like a complete lose-lose situation.
If Daniel Jones does indeed beat out Anthony Richardson then that all but confirms the end of the Richardson experiment in Indianapolis. And Jones has been a verifiable failure in all but one of his NFL seasons, so he shouldn't be considered a long-term option.
If Anthony Richardson beats out Jones then the best quarterback Indianapolis has on their roster is one who completed less than 48% of his passes last year as he threw more interceptions than touchdowns, and has at no point in his career–college or NFL–been an efficient passer whatsoever.
2025 may be a long year for Colts fans unless a miracle happens.
The Colts won a good old-fashioned standoff against a top NFC team to sign a free agent at a position of need
Chris Ballard said the Indianapolis Colts wanted to have an open competition at quarterback during training camp, and it looks like we now know who that is. The Colts are set to sign former New York Giants first-round pick Daniel Jones to a pretty hefty contract. Colts land Daniel Jones to compete with Anthony Richardson […]
We'll be back with more Indianapolis Colts coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
And if you're still doubting whether Anthony Richardson is the answer at quarterback for the Colts, feel free to check out every interception from his 2024 season in the post below.
@fleaflickerrfootball Anthony Richardson’s 2024 was the worst completion % by ANY QB in ANY season with over 200 attempts since Tim Tebow in 2011 ? #timtebow #anthonyrichardson #indianapoliscolts #nfledits #interceptions ♬ Very Sad – Enchan
