Steichen: Richardson’s status with team unchanged

Always a good sign for the quarterback when the coach has to defend his plan to keep starting said quarterback in back-to-back postgame availabilities. While we empathize with the Indianapolis media that clearly has seen enough of Jones, we’re not sure what exactly they think will go differently with Anthony Richardson — who spent his press availability on Sunday noting that he doesn’t “really regret a lot of things I do” after a citation for marijuana possession — under center. Richardson’s in the final year of his rookie contract. The Colts remain a mess after firing Chris Ballard. Jones probably won’t play this poorly next week against a non-Vikings defense, but it’s hard to deny that he’s playing poorly.

According to reports, Richardson was stopped on October 12th for having a registration on his car that had expired and was assigned to a different vehicle. The officer reported noticing the “odor of marijuana” coming from Richardson’s car, and the former first-round pick admitted to smoking in the car; a “small mason jar containing a substance believed to be marijuana and an opened bag of THC-infused gummies” were found in his vehicle during a search. Richardson is scheduled to have a bench trial on January 4th, 2027. While the NFL no longer suspends players for testing positive for THC, it’s possible Richardson faces some kind of penalty from the league with this being a legal issue.

Richardson will be dressed to back up Daniel Jones in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Richardson tweaked his groin while lifting earlier this week, per head coach Shane Steichen, but he is good to go.

Perhaps the groin issue was just maintenance. Either way, Richardson is unlikely to be in line for any work in Week 2. The question here is simply if Richardson will back up Daniel Jones in Week 2 or if Riley Leonard will have to pick up the slack.

It’s unclear how Richardson picked up the groin injury after not playing a snap in Week 1. He earned the backup job during the summer but will now hand that over to Riley Leonard if he isn’t able to suit up this week.

Richardson spent training camp and the preseason battling it out with Riley Leonard for the backup gig. Given the arc of Richardson’s career, earning the backup gig is undoubtedly a win for the young passer. Richardson isn’t on the redraft fantasy radar, but dynasty managers can leave the light on for him.

Richardson is listed alongside Riley Leonard as the team’s QB2 for now. Either Leonard or Richardson — who struggled in the preseason — will serve as Daniel Jones’ backup this season. One of the most inaccurate passers in modern NFL history, Richardson would be a massive downgrade for all Indy pass catchers if he finds his way under center in 2026.

Holder cites comments made by Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds today. Dodds did not come right out and share the team’s plans, but when asked about Richardson’s status, he stressed the importance of having three quarterbacks on the roster. The Colts’ quarterback position group was so banged up last year that they brought Philip Rivers out of retirement. Recouping value for Richardson has its merits, but the Colts intend to compete this season. Keeping the quarterback room deep makes sense.

Richardson’s interception came on a play in which the ball bounced off his receiver’s hands and into a defender’s arms. The former No. 4 overall pick was mostly solid on Thursday, making quick and decisive throws to his receivers while going a perfect 6-for-6 on pass attempts of 10-plus air yards. Richardson also lost a fumble on a 10-yard scramble in the second quarter, but made up for it later on a one-yard touchdown run on a QB sneak. His days as a Colt are likely numbered. Richardson stringing together a nice preseason could draw the interest of several QB-needy teams before the start of the season and position him to eventually see the field sometime in 2026.

Richardson and Riley Leonard will both play, while Daniel Jones will sit. Richardson’s trade request this offseason has gone nowhere, but the Colts appear to be giving him ample opportunity to showcase himself in the preseason as he will get the first half here and the second half next week against Atlanta, while Leonard picks up the other two halves. The Colts are likely hoping someone talks themselves into trading a low pick for Richardson.