“Let’s not crown him yet,” Chris Ballard said on the day he drafted Anthony Richardson. “He’s a young player, he’s got work to do, but we like his talent.” Two years later, the crown never came. Neither did consistency. The Colts GM, who once sold Richardson’s potential like it was a five-year plan, now finds himself on a hot seat. Because the guy he bet the house on – physically gifted but injury-prone – might not even see the field in 2025. And the guy brought in as insurance? He’s playing like the future.
Daniel Jones. The same quarterback New York dumped. The same one who entered Indy on a $15M prove-it deal is now reportedly on a contract collision course for $40M. And guess what? He might actually get it if this keeps up. And the pressure’s everywhere.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner dropped the bomb on Chris Ballard’s job being directly tied to not losing with Daniel Jones. And he wasn’t guessing. He was echoing a reality that’s gaining steam. Jones is the safer bet. Richardson? A higher ceiling. But Ballard? He’s running out of time to wait for ceilings. Renner said it straight: “If you don’t make the playoffs with Daniel Jones, your job is out the door. If you’re Chris Ballard, you may not be back there next year.” And if Ballard sticks with Richardson and it crashes again, he’s toast anyway. “If you go down swing with Anthony Richardson, you could still be back there.” This isn’t about grooming anymore – it’s about surviving.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets Nov 17, 2024 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson 5 celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20241117_bjp_ae5_026
Richardson has played just 13 college games and 17 NFL games. He’s missed 17 more due to injury. His completion rate is hovering around 50%. “We’ve got to get the consistency. I think sometimes competition is a good thing,” Ballard said about Richardson. Meanwhile, Jones is stacking reps, running the offense cleanly, and already getting glowing reviews from Shane Steichen. It’s not a good look when your $15M QB is outshining your No. 4 overall pick before camp even starts.
Chris Ballard’s Richardson dream is fading fast. His job? Even faster. Because this is no longer about patience. It’s about playoffs. About results. About justifying your first-round quarterback decisions in public before ownership starts making private ones about you. But this isn’t just about Ballard anymore. It’s about how the Colts accidentally landed in a Daniel Jones redemption arc.
While Richardson slips, Jones climbs up
FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna listed Jones as a prime candidate for a massive raise if he balls out. He labeled him as a quarterback on a “contract collision course” for a reason. That $40M figure isn’t theoretical – it’s being discussed like it’s on layaway. Jones was a throwaway storyline. Now he’s the plot twist that might define Indy’s next era. But if he messes up, what will the Colts do then? Make another miserable draft pick next year? Maybe – history says so.
The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $15 million deal – a low-risk investment on a quarterback who brings 69 career starts, a six-year NFL resume, and proven dual-threat ability. He’s not some practice-squad project. He’s a former starter who led an NFC team, and now he’s getting real traction in Indy. During nine OTA sessions, Jones logged around 170 reps – more than just placeholder numbers.
But while he’s climbing, Richardson is falling deeper into question-mark territory. The latest? Another flare-up in his AC joint. Missed reps. Reduced training time. Combine that with January’s back spasms, midseason benchings, and that eerie Week 8 fatigue exit, and it’s hard to sell the ‘face of the franchise’ narrative anymore – no matter how many youth camps he posts from on Instagram. So if Jones holds onto the starting job and delivers, the Colts may have no choice but to pay like he’s the future, not a one-year fix.
The Colts, once built to be patient, are now sprinting through desperation. If Daniel Jones keeps winning practices and Anthony Richardson keeps missing them, Chris Ballard could be the first casualty of his quarterback carousel. And if Jones does land that $40M deal? It’ll be the most expensive ‘I told you so’ in Colts history.
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