It could be Daniel Jones’ time to shine in Indianapolis.
Anthony Richardson is dealing with a shoulder injury and will not participate in mini-camp next week after missing all three of the Colts’ OTAs this week, according to head coach Shane Steichen.
That gives Jones a likely edge in what was already a highly competitive quarterback battle between the third-year pro out of Florida and the former Giant.
Richardson, 23, experienced pain in his throwing shoulder at an OTA practice last week, which turned out to be a reaggravation of the AC joint he sprained in 2023.
Steichen did not offer a timetable on Richardson’s return.
“We’ll see when he comes back,” he told reporters. “We’re not going to put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we’ll ease him into the throwing, and then we’ll go from there. The good thing is there’s not going to be a procedure right now.”
The coach added that Richardson would be back “at some point” during training camp, which begins in mid-July, but not for the start.
Jones signed a one-year, $14 million contract with Indianapolis this offseason, setting up a competition with Richardson — who has struggled with consistency and a pattern of injuries despite undeniable raw talent.
The No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (8) and completed just 47.7 percent of his passes in 11 games last season.
After six seasons in New York, Jones was cut by the Giants last November and spent the rest of the season with the Vikings, although he did not play.
He chose the Colts over Minnesota in free agency — a decision could pay off for the 28-year-old if he is able to outlast Richardson for the starting role.
