NFL legend Joe Thomas gave his insights on how the Indianapolis Colts might view Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones.
The Indianapolis Colts are nearly set to embark on a journey at quarterback between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones that will likely feature plenty of highs and lows.
We don’t yet know who the starter will be. However, it feels like there’s a decent chance we see both players at some point in 2025. Colts general manager Chris Ballard alluded to it in April, saying, “If I’m a betting man, at some point, both of them will help us.”
Now, NFL Hall-of-Famer Joe Thomas — who played with a revolving door of quarterbacks in his career with the Cleveland Browns — is trumpeting the same sentiment, advising not to shut the door on Richardson, even if Jones wins the starting quarterback role early on.
“Quarterback, it’s the most important position in sports,” Thomas recently told guest host Andrew Siciliano on The Rich Eisen Show. “You can never have enough of ’em. And when you’ve got a guy like Anthony Richardson, who’s got that crazy potential and just hasn’t been able to tap it yet. He’s had some problems, undoubtedly, and he’s recovering from a shoulder (injury), but it’s easy to take a flyer on a guy like that.”
“I don’t know that the Colts would be ready to get rid of him because, again, we have seen enough of Daniel Jones to know that he’s probably not the long-term answer there in Indianapolis,” Thomas continued. “And so, really for Anthony Richardson, they may be a little bit down on him right now, but I don’t think they’re completely out on him. And I do think they wanna give him another chance because you’ve invested a lot when you pick a guy in the first round. And so I think they still wanna make it work if it’s possible, even though it’s doubtful.”
As for how the quarterback role could evolve for the Colts in 2025, Thomas says it may be worth it to keep Richardson involved if it remains obvious that Jones is only a placeholder for the season.
“So, I think they’re much more thinking that Daniel Jones is just that stopgap,” Thomas said. “And Anthony Richardson might get another opportunity at some point this season to get some playing time, no matter what happens with Daniel Jones, because I think they do really just wanna give him one more chance before they close the book on his Indianapolis Colts career.”
The Colts report to Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, IN on Tuesday, July 22 for the start of training camp, where the battle between Richardson and Jones will resume.
