Head coach Shane Steichen said Sunday that Daniel Jones will start the Colts' second preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. Per Steichen, the plan is for Jones to play the first few series in the first quarter, and for Anthony Richardson Sr. to then come in for the remainder of the first half.
This is an alteration to the team's original plan for Richardson and Jones in the preseason; Richardson was meant to play the first quarter and a half of the Colts' first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, with Jones playing the second half of the second quarter. The two would then switch against the Packers, with Jones taking the majority of the first-half snaps.
However, after Richardson exited Thursday's game against the Ravens with a dislocated pinkie after taking just seven snaps – leading to Jones playing for the rest of the first half – the Colts reevaluated their initial plans.
With this new plan, the Colts will still be able to see both quarterbacks start a game, all while keeping playing time relatively even (to the extent they can). This shouldn't come as a surprise, either; the Colts have remained very intentional about giving Jones and Richardson equal first-team reps and opportunities throughout training camp as the quarterback competition continues.
One key difference heading into Sunday's game against the Packers to keep in mind, though, is that both quarterbacks should get reps with the rest of the starting offense for the first time in a game; Steichen said the plan is for most starters on offense and defense to play "about a quarter."
"There's certain guys that we'll have a plan for," Steichen said. "But for the most part, those guys will play."
And as a reminder, the two quarterbacks aren't solely being judged based off their game performances. The competition remains close, and everything is being examined.
"We got a joint practice, we got this week, we got this week and possibly next week," Steichen said. "And we'll see how this thing plays out."
Steichen also remained firm in his stance that there is no set timetable on naming a quarterback.
News and Notes from Sunday's practice:
- Cornerback Kenny Moore II and wide receiver Alec Pierce both exited practice with injures; Moore with a knee injury and Pierce with a groin injury, Steichen said.
- Safety Nick Cross (hip flexor) and defensive end Kwity Paye (groin) also did not practice on Sunday.
- Tight end Will Mallory had a handful of receptions from both Jones and Richardson in multiple team drills.
- On his first throw in the team's first 11-on-11 drill, Richardson connected with Pierce on a deep ball near the sidelines; Pierce beat out cornerback Johnathan Edwards to make the catch.
- Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had an impressive pass rush during an 11-on-11 drill.
- During a team red zone period, Jones floated a pass to wide receiver Josh Downs in the end zone for a touchdown. Jones also threw a dart to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell later in the period, also for a touchdown.
