After quickly rising up the quarterback depth chart as a rookie in 2025, Riley Leonard approached this offseason in a different way than in previous years.

"This is the most time off I've had since probably high school and COVID," he said. "I was itching to get back up, though, because it takes forever to get back to work."

With Daniel Jones recovering from an Achilles injury in Week 14 and Anthony Richardson Sr. requesting a trade, Leonard is primed to take the first team snaps in OTAs.

"Reps are the biggest thing for a quarterback," he said Tuesday. "You can get on the board all you want but getting those reps (are important)."

During his injury recovery, Jones has been a steady presence in the facility, and Leonard has had a front row seat to his recovery.

"Dan's a pretty consistent guy. It's no surprise he's ahead of schedule," he said of the eight-year veteran. "It didn't surprise me when he was the first one in the building, even though he was hurt."

Heading into last season, Leonard was QB3 behind Jones and Richardson, which was new to him. He started 37 games with Duke and Notre Dame.

"Being the guy in college to the third string is completely different," he said Tuesday. "It's very humbling, but you learn a lot from the experience."

After a season of backing up an injury-riddled quarterback room, as well as a three-week stint for 44-year-old Philip Rivers, Leonard got his first career start in Week 18 against the Houston Texans. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns in a 38-30 loss.

Despite the loss, Leonard views the game as a learning experience heading into his second season.

"I think one of the things I can improve on is understanding the why of the offense," he said. "I understand why we call certain plays, but I don't really understand why we call them right now, specifically against certain defenses and against certain coverages."

Heading into OTAs, Leonard has a clearer picture of what his role will be, and he's ready for whatever head coach Shane Steichen needs him for.

"It's very well-known that there's a chance that I get the thumbs up early," he said. "I look forward to that opportunity, but it's more (so), 'What can I do tomorrow to put myself in a better position to help this team out?'"