Anthony Richardson And Others Respond To The Team’s Quarterback Decision

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and former number four overall draft pick Anthony Richardson told reporters that he has to “respect the decision” the team made to name Daniel Jones the Week One starter, according to NFL.com. However, that was not the messaging that came from Richardson’s agent, Deiric Jackson, who said that trust between the Colts and his client is “questionable,” according to ESPN.

“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.”

Jackson wasn’t the only person who was sounding off about the latest quarterback change in Indy. Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson also made his feelings heard.

“I would say so,” Nelson said when asked if it’s frustrating that the team keeps bringing in new starters at quarterback. “I think I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t.”

When Daniel Jones opens the 2025-26 regular season as the Colts’ starter, he’ll be the 12th different quarterback that Nelson will have blocked for since being drafted in 2018.

“You look around the league and see just the consistency of having Patrick Mahomes or a quarterback behind you that’s been the franchise player for years and years and years, and getting to build that chemistry with that quarterback year after year is something that there is an advantage to when it comes to O-line play,” he continued. “So, to answer your question, yeah.”

Blocking for a new quarterback is something Quenton Nelson is used to. He clarified that he expected the competition for the team’s starting job to be fierce when Daniel Jones joined the Colts in March.

“Since we signed Daniel, we knew that this was going to be a big decision for Shane (Steichen) and the front office to make,” Nelson said. “And nothing really changes for us. We’re still going to come to work, do our jobs, [and] still support both guys. But it’s nothing completely new to us.”

Meanwhile, Anthony Richardson has handled this decision with maturity, stating that there are “no hard feelings” between him and the Colts.

“They feel like he’s the better fit for the team – the better fit for the outcome of us winning. So, you’ve just got to respect it and just keep working,” Richardson said. “That doesn’t undermine any other work I’ve been putting in. It doesn’t say that I haven’t improved. I’m proud of the improvement I’ve made.”

Once again, that was not the sentiment echoed by Richardson’s agent. When asked about what his upcoming conversation will be like with the Colts, Deiric Jackson told ESPN, “We have a lot to discuss.”

The Indianapolis Colts open the regular season against the Miami Dolphins on September 7th. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EDT.