Anthony Richardson got the bad news on Tuesday that he will not be the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.
While speaking with reporters about the team's decision start Daniel Jones instead, Richardson took it in stride. His agent, Deiric Jackson, took a different tack.
Jackson spoke with ESPN's Stephen Holder later Tuesday. He told Holder that that the decision constitutes a breakdown in trust with Colts management.
"Trust is a big factor, and that is, at best, questionable right now," Jackson said. "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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Jackson added that "we have a lot to discuss" in comments that didn't include a trade request but didn't inspire confidence in Richardson's future with the franchise.
Richardson's response to benching
Richardson, meanwhile, had this to say about the decision while speaking with reporters earlier Tuesday in the Colts locker room:
"You've got to respect the decision," Richardson said. "They feel like he's a better fit for the team, better fit for the outcome of us winning. So you've just got to respect it and just keep working.
"That doesn't undermine any other work I've been putting in, doesn't say that I haven't improved. I'm proud of the improvement I've made."
That's a striking contrast in tone from Richardson and his agent as Richardson enters the season as a backup two-plus years after the Colts selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft.
What does Daniel Jones have to offer?
Head coach Shane Steichen announced the decision to reporters early Tuesday. He made clear that the decision to start Jones is not just a Week 1 arrangement.
"He’s the starting quarterback for the season,” Steichen said. "I don’t want to have a short leash on that."
There's little to indicate that Jones offers the Colts a shot at any long-term or short-term success of significance. The Giants bailed on Jones in 2024 after five-plus turnover-plagued seasons as their starting quarterback that produced just one winning campaign (9-7-1, 2022).
After a 2-8 start to the 2024 season in which Jones posted more turnovers (9) than touchdowns thrown (8), the Giants benched the former first-round pick. They ultimately released him before the season was over.
Jones is a known commodity. Despite that, the Colts brought him in as competition for Richardson, whose struggles with injury (19 missed games), accuracy (50.6% completion rate) and leadership have undercut his tremendous upside as one of the most gifted athletes in the NFL.
Richardson had plenty to work on this offseason to prove himself, and he and Jackson contend that he showed substantial signs of progress. But Jackson insinuated that a competition in which Jones got the first practice reps over the incumbent Richardson was determined before it started.
Regardless of the motivation for the decision, the decision's been made. And it's put Richardson's future with the franchise that drafted him in peril.
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