Daniel Jones' victory over Anthony Richardson in the battle for the Colts' starting quarterback job opened the door for questions regarding Richardson's future in Indianapolis.
Might Indianapolis trade the former fourth-overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft? In a word, no, according to general manager Chris Ballard.
“Yeah no, but we're not trading him," Ballard said on Wednesday when asked if the Colts have taken calls on Richardson.
In a series of rambling responses, the Colts GM made sure to point out that Jones rightfully won the job in the organization's eyes, and stated the outcome does not indicate Indianapolis no longer sees a future with Richardson.
"Both of them competed, professional, battled to the end, and at the end of the day, Daniel won the job," Ballard told reporters. "Does that mean we're down on Anthony? No, but I don't want to dismiss that Daniel -- he's had a good run here. Reminds me a lot of Alex Smith that we had in Kansas City, who I thought was just the ultimate professional day in and day out. The team knew exactly what they were getting. I feel that's kind of the same thing with Daniel. So, I know the story's always been about Anthony, but also let's don't lose sight of Daniel. (He) did some good things, and he's been a really good professional. He's been through a lot. Then going to Anthony, like I know the negativity, and it's easy to say, ‘Okay, he's done.’ And I don't agree.
"I've said this numerous times; I do not agree with that. I think overcoming challenges and obstacles along the way are good for anybody, I do. I'm proud of Anthony, of where he's at, how far he's come. He's come miles. ... Now to continue to do that, that's when we’ve got a chance to see real growth. There's a lot of value in sitting behind a guy that's a professional and watching and learning and growing and working on the things you need to work on without the same pressure of being the starter. There is. There's a lot of good to that.”
The Colts have repeatedly leaned on "professionalism" and "operation" as buzzwords when explaining what they valued in their quarterback competition, a battle Jones won despite not playing significantly better than Richardson in preseason action. The most recent mention of such professionalism in Jones -- and how Richardson can benefit from observing it -- suggests the Colts don't yet believe Richardson is mature enough to handle the starting role.
Time spent behind Jones might aid Richardson in this department. That's not guaranteed, though, and in a season that places plenty of pressure on Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen, Indianapolis couldn't afford to send a quarterback who they believe isn't professional enough to handle the job out to run their offense.
"I think it is good for young players, especially at the quarterback position, if they're not completely ready, to sit back without the pressure of daily pressure of having to perform," Ballard explained. "Now, the pressure is still there because he's one play away. But it's much different. It's much different. I just think the little intricacies that they can learn by doing the backup role can serve them well because he's still serving the starter."
Ultimately, it will be up to Richardson to seize the opportunity to learn from Jones, and he better do so expeditiously, considering Jones has never played a full NFL season in his career. The chance to prove he's still worth a long-term investment may arrive sooner than Richardson expects.
For that reason alone, the Colts have little cause to explore trading Richardson. They'll proceed forward with both at their disposal.