FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Colts kicked off their 2026 preseason slate with all but two starters on the sideline in a 13-13 tie with the New England Patriots on Thursday at Gillette Stadium.
Those two starters – right tackle Jalen Travis and safety AJ Haulcy – only played in the first quarter. New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, similarly, did not play his starters.
The main story Thursday, then, centered on the Colts' backup quarterback competition.
Anthony Richardson Sr. started and played the entire first half, completing 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards with six rushes for 53 yards and a touchdown on a QB sneak. The 24-year-old had a rocky start, with Richardson throwing incomplete on a play-action rollout on his first dropback and then throwing an interception on a ball that went through the hands of wide receiver Coleman Owen to end the Colts' first possession.
But Richardson, playing in his first game since Week 5 of the 2025 season – and in his first extended action since the Colts' second preseason game last year – bounced back and quickly found a rhythm, save for a lost fumble on a running play in the second quarter. Richardson completed 78.5 percent of his passes, his best rate in any preseason or regular season game as a pro, and averaged a healthy 8.8 yards per attempt.
Riley Leonard tagged in behind center for Richardson at halftime, with the plan for the Colts' two competitors to be Daniel Jones' backup to be reversed next weekend against the Atlanta Falcons (Leonard will start and play the first half, Richardson will play the second half).
Leonard threw an interception on a deep ball on his second pass attempt of the game and finished with 10 completions on 21 attempts for 89 yards.
Tight end Will Mallory led the Colts with with six catches on seven targets for 80 yards.
Both defensive ends the Colts selected in the 2026 NFL Draft – fifth-rounder George Gumbs Jr. and sixth-rounder Caden Curry – registered sacks in their preseason debuts.
Kicker Spencer Shrader blasted a 61-yard field goal with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 13. Because the NFL in 2021 eliminated overtime in preseason games, the game ended in a tie.
View the best photos from the Colts' preseason opener vs. the New England Patriots, Thursday at Gillette Stadium.
LB Bryce Boettcher #50 and DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
WR Coleman Owen #9
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
TE Drew Ogletree #85
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 and G Jalen Farmer #62
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
CB Jaylon Jones #40
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52 and LB Jaylon Carlies #57
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
LB Austin Ajiake #58
LB Austin Ajiake #58
LB Jaylon Carlies #57
T Luke Tenuta #67, G Jalen Farmer #62, G Dalton Tucker #68, G Quenton Nelson #56 and T Blake Freeland #73
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
WR Coleman Owen #9
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
CB Jonathan Edwards #35
CB Robert Carter Jr. #39
CB Robert Carter Jr. #39, LB Austin Ajiake #58 and S Trey Washington #41
CB Robert Carter Jr. #39
G Dalton Tucker #68, T Blake Freeland #73 and QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
WR D.J. Montgomery
G Jalen Farmer #62
TE Will Mallory #86
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5, T Blake Freeland #73 and OL Josh Sills #66
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 and RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8 and K Blake Grupe #10
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8 and K Blake Grupe #10
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8 and K Blake Grupe #10
TE Will Mallory #86
RB Anderson Castle #42
LS Luke Rhodes #46, RB Seth McGowan #20, CB Cam Taylor-Britt #26 and LB West Weeks #47
CB Cam Taylor-Britt #26
LB Bryce Boettcher #50, DE Caden Curry #55 and S Trey Washington #41
LB Bryce Boettcher #50
LB Bryce Boettcher #50 and S Trey Washington #41
DE Caden Curry #55
WR Deion Burks #80
WR Eli Pancol #83
C Geno VanDeMark #63
RB Anderson Castle #42
DT Chris Wormley
QB Riley Leonard #15
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
C Geno VanDeMark #63 and T Blake Freeland #73
QB Riley Leonard #15
CB Robert Carter Jr. #39
S Daniel Scott #32
DT Cam Ball #64
CB Jaylon Jones #40
CB Jaylon Jones #40
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
DT Cam Ball #64 and DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
LB Tahj Chambers #44, DE Caden Curry #55, LB West Weeks #47 and DT Tim Smith #93
LB West Weeks #47 and DT Cam Ball #64
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55 and DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
Shane Steichen Head Coach
QB Riley Leonard #15
WR Raylen Sharpe #8
WR Raylen Sharpe #8
QB Riley Leonard #15
K Spencer Shrader #3
DE Caden Curry #55
LB Tahj Chambers #44
S Austin Brown #31
LB Tahj Chambers #44
QB Riley Leonard #15
TE Pharaoh Brown #49
T Blake Freeland #73, P Rigoberto Sanchez #8, K Spencer Shrader #3 and LS Luke Rhodes #46
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8, LS Luke Rhodes #46 and K Spencer Shrader #3
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
S Austin Brown #31
DE Caden Curry #55
DT Tim Smith #93
LB Bryce Boettcher #50
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
RB Seth McGowan #20
LB Austin Ajiake #58
DE Micheal Clemons #72
DE Caden Curry #55 and DE Mitchell Melton #54
WR Sahmir Hagans #11 and RB Seth McGowan #20
RB Seth McGowan #20 and G Dalton Tucker #68
RB Seth McGowan #20
T Jalen Travis #75
T Blake Freeland #73 and RB Seth McGowan #20
T Jalen Travis #75 and G Jalen Farmer #62
S Jonathan Owens #38
S A.J. Haulcy #25
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
S A.J. Haulcy #25
S A.J. Haulcy #25
CB Cam Taylor-Britt #26
LB Jaylon Carlies #57
LB Jaylon Carlies #57
DE Micheal Clemons #72
DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
S A.J. Haulcy #25
S A.J. Haulcy #25 and DE George Gumbs Jr. #52
LB Jaylon Carlies #57 and CB Mekhi Blackmon #29
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine # 12
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
T Luke Tenuta #67
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
G Jalen Farmer #62
QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
S Trey Washington #41
CB Jonathan Edwards #35
CB Jaylon Jones #40
CB Jaylon Jones #40
S Trey Washington #41
LB Bryce Boettcher #50
DT Grover Stewart #90, Shane Steichen Head Coach and WR Laquon Treadwell #13
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
K Blake Grupe #10
WR Deion Burks #80
CB Cam Taylor-Britt #26
CB Robert Carter Jr. #39
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55
DT Cam Ball #64
DE Caden Curry #55
DE Caden Curry #55 and DE Durell Nchami #74
S Daniel Scott #32
QB Riley Leonard #15
WR Raylen Sharpe #8
K Spencer Shrader #3
RB Roydell Williams #36
QB Riley Leonard #15
LS Luke Rhodes #46 and K Spencer Shrader #3
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
T Luke Tenuta #67, QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 and G Jalen Farmer #62
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37 and QB Anthony Richardson Sr. #5
TE Will Mallory #86
TE Will Mallory #86
G Jalen Farmer #62
WR Liam Clifford #3
RB Anderson Castle #42
QB Riley Leonard #15
CB Jaylon Jones #40
DE Caden Curry #55
CB Jonathan Edwards #35
