The Indianapolis Colts are demoting Anthony Richardson, their first-round pick from 2023, and making the previously unsuccessful Daniel Jones the starter. This decision is hard to understand – a commentary

The Indianapolis Colts have made their decision! New signing Daniel Jones will start the season as starting quarterback. Anthony Richardson, who was selected fourth in the 2023 draft and was supposed to be the future franchise quarterback, has been demoted to backup.

It speaks volumes for Richardson how professionally he is handling this tough decision. The 23-year-old said that the decision must be respected. Deiric Jackson, Richardson’s agent, was less understanding, announcing that discussions were needed and speaking of a damaged relationship of trust.

Many fans are also stunned and are calling it a “disgrace.”

Now it is up to each head coach to decide on the starting lineup. If head coach Shane Steichen truly believes that Daniel Jones is more likely to lead the Colts to success than Anthony Richardson, he has to make that decision.

And yet, the Colts could be making a big mistake.

Indianapolis has put a lot of faith in Richardson. As the number four pick, he was the Colts’ earliest pick since 2012, when Andrew Luck was selected number one. Admittedly, Richardson’s performances have been mixed.

The 2024 season was particularly disappointing: he completed only 47.7 percent of his passes, threw eight touchdown passes and twelve interceptions. However, this was also due to the Colts’ tactical focus on big plays rather than safe passes.

Indianapolis Colts: It’s too early to write Richardson off

In addition, Richardson has not yet completed a full season due to injury. In 2023, he was only able to play four games due to shoulder surgery. But he showed potential as a rookie, completing 59.5 percent of his passes.

Richardson also proved to be very mobile. He was the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to score a rushing touchdown in each of his first three starts.

Even though Richardson made mistakes last season, he has only played a total of 15 NFL games so far. That’s not even a full NFL season. And above all, it’s too early to write off a great quarterback talent.

Such a move might be understandable if the Colts had signed a top veteran like Aaron Rodgers or Matthew Stafford. In that case, it could be argued that it would actually be good for Richardson to take a year out of the spotlight and learn from a top quarterback.

Daniel Jones has failed with the Giants

But what can he learn from Daniel Jones?

Jones has failed as the New York Giants’ franchise quarterback. He ended his six-year tenure in New York with a 24-44-1 record as a starter. This was the lowest winning percentage among quarterbacks with at least 50 starts since 2019.

Jones does not have Richardson’s mobility, certainly not his better throwing arm, and he is not a better decision-maker. Jones has also not stood out as a leader so far.

Someone who has failed to impress in five of six seasons – the 2022 season, which saw the team make the playoffs, was a minor exception – is not suddenly going to become a high-flyer. At least, the chances of that are very, very slim.

Sacrificing the franchise quarterback for that is a travesty.