NFL preseason live updates: Colts reportedly name Daniel Jones as starting QB over Anthony Richardson for 2025
The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly named Daniel Jones as the team's starting quarterback over Anthony Richardson for the 2025 NFL season after winning the job in training camp.
That means Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will head back to the bench ... yet again. His reign in the league has been tumultuous, riddled with injuries that have limited him to just 15 total games in his first two seasons, with mixed results in the limited time he spent on the field. Just last year, Richardson was benched in favor of veteran Joe Flacco after briefly exiting the team's Week 8 loss to the Houston Texans, citing fatigue.
Richardson holds a 50.6% career completion percentage, averaging just 159.4 passing yards per game with 11 pass TDs and 13 INTs to his name. Unfortunately, those passing stats haven't been enough to overcome the upside he poses on the ground as a runner and as a deep passer.
At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, Richardson posted a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, with a 40.5" vertical; that testing earned him a Relative Athletic Score of 10.00 out of a possible 10.00 — the highest rank among 916 quarterbacks dating back to 1987, per Kent Lee Platte's model. He totaled 635 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground over 15 career starts.
The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract in free agency this offseason, which includes a max value of up to $17.7 million when taking incentives into account. The base salary and built-in incentives hinted that the team appeared willing to let Jones compete for the starting role. It's not often that a player is signed as an intended backup and earns that kind of money; the highest average annual salary for an intended backup, as it stands now, is $8 million annually, paid to the Washington Commanders' Marcus Mariota, backing up 2024's Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, per Over The Cap.
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Jones, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, was released by the New York Giants upon his own request back in November after being benched in favor of Tommy DeVito. He was in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the franchise at the time of his release, holding a 24-44-1 record as a starter.
Jones has completed 53.1% of passes over the first two games of the preseason for 245 yards, 0 TD and 0 INT. He enters 2025 in as solid a spot as he's seen so far in his career, however, with some depth at receiver he hadn't experienced during his time in New York. Michael Pittman Jr., A.D. Mitchell, Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and do-it-all rookie tight end Tyler Warren highlight just a few of his top targets for this season.
NFL top storylines
Three-year starting Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. appears to be on his way out, and the Commanders may have demonstrated why Monday night. With Robinson sidelined amid reported trade rumors, Washington ran roughshod over a porous Bengals defense as both teams played their starters early. The Commanders exploded for a four-play, 73-yard touchdown drive on their opening possession without throwing a pass. Running back Chris Rodriguez broke free for a 40-yard run to set up quarterback Jayden Daniels for a 14-yard touchdown scramble through and past multiple hapless Bengals defenders. Then came Jacory Croskey-Merritt's time to shine. The seventh-round rookie out of Arizona took the starring role on Washington's second drive with 32 rushing yards as the Commanders needed just three plays to score their second touchdown of the game. Croskey-Merritt capped the drive with a 27-yard touchdown run.
Browns name Joe Flacco starting quarterback for Week 1: The Cleveland Browns announced Monday that Joe Flacco will start Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, a move that has been expected for a while and is now official. That hardly ends the intrigue on the Browns' depth chart, though, with presumptive backup Kenny Pickett having yet to take an in-game snap this preseason due to injury, fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders still battling an oblique injury, and third-round rookie Dillon Gabriel having looked solid in his debut over the weekend. With Flacco getting playing time in Saturday's preseason finale, snaps will be even more scarce for the other three QBs on the roster. How will this shake out?
Matthew Stafford returns to Rams practice: Breathe a sigh of relief, Los Angeles Rams fans and fantasy players. Matthew Stafford finally returned to practice on Monday after battling an aggravated disc in his back and took part in team drills. Head coach Sean McVay said he thought Stafford did a good job, but opted to play things carefully, deeming Stafford as day-to-day and week-to-week. McVay called it a "very fluid" situation and said while it was "great" that Stafford was able to get back to practice, the team will see how he responds the rest of the day and Tuesday.
Browns sign WR Isaiah Bond, gave him lie detector test: The Cleveland Browns reportedly signed wide receiver Isaiah Bond to a three-year, $3 million deal Monday after he was not charged as part of a sexual assault investigation. Bond, 21, was expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but went undrafted after being arrested just two weeks before the draft. On Thursday, Bond was "no-billed" by a grand jury in Texas, meaning there was not enough evidence to charge him. As part of that diligence, the team apparently had Bond go through an independent polygraph test, per team general manager Andrew Berry.
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AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders
NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks
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