Between his performance and his injuries, Anthony Richardson’s first three pro seasons have not gone as planned.
The Colts brought in Daniel Jones to be competition for their former No. 4 overall pick, with Jones beating out Richardson to be Indianapolis’ QB1. Jones then played well before suffering a fractured fibula, followed by a torn Achilles.
While Jones was on just a one-year deal, the Colts are expected to try and bring him back for 2026.
At this point, it seems virtually guaranteed that the Colts will not exercise Richardson’s fifth-year option in the spring.
On Monday, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was asked if there’s a place for Richardson with the club going forward.
“I think I’m going to stay in my lane on that one,” Irsay-Gordon said, via transcript from the team. “But it’s — I feel horrible for Anthony with the injuries that he’s had to endure, and I know Chris [Ballard] and Shane [Steichen] are going to do the right thing.”
That’s the general stance Irsay-Gordon took when asked about the quarterback position. Though she noted that what the club saw from Jones was “really promising,” she left it up to Ballard and Steichen to make the ultimate decisions on QBs.
We’ll see if that includes any sort of move with Richardson as the offseason unfolds.
The Titans are set for a head coaching interview on Wednesday.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that they are scheduled to meet with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Wednesday is the first day that teams are permitted to speak with coaches whose team played their final game of the regular season on Sunday and all interviews are held remotely at this point in the process.
Anarumo joined the Colts in 2025 after spending the previous six seasons running the defense for the Bengals. The Colts beat the Titans 41-20 and 38-14 during the regular season.
The Titans are also scheduled for interviews with former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris this weekend.
When Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon explained the team’s decision to stay the course with head coach Shane Steichen and General Manager Chris Ballard on Monday, she highlighted the team’s 7-1 start as a reason to believe in their plans for the franchise.
Daniel Jones was the quarterback for that start, so it stands to reason that bringing him back is also part of the larger plan in Indianapolis as the team heads into the offseason. While their slide to missing the playoffs began with Jones in the lineup, it accelerated once he tore his Achilles in early December and Steichen called Jones’ pre-injury play “phenomenal” on Monday.
Jones also had a chance to speak to reporters and it sounds like he shares interest in running things back in 2026.
“I’d love to be back here,” Jones said. “I’ve enjoyed being here, working with the coaching staff here, the players, I think it’s a great organization and I’ve enjoyed being here. Obviously there’s a business side to it and understand that, but I’ve really enjoyed being here around these people.”
Jones said that he expects to be ready to go for training camp, but his injury history is long enough that the Colts can’t afford to be left in a position where they’re coaxing players out of retirement if and when he goes down again. Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard are currently under contract, but there could be further changes at the position once the team has secured Jones’ return.
The Colts lost eight of their final nine games in the 2025 season, but the team’s reaction to the way the season ended is more focused on their 7-1 start.
Team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon addressed the decision to retain General Manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen at a press conference on Monday. Irsay-Gordon said she was pleased with how Ballard was more active in free agency and the trade market to put together the roster that began the season so well. The Colts “believe that he’s going to be able to replicate what we were on our way to doing” and that Steichen is the right person to coach that team.
Injuries to quarterback Daniel Jones and other key players contributed to the Colts’ slide, but Irsay-Gordon said “we’ve got to be able to handle adversity better and still find a way to win” and that the two men know they have to do that immediately.
“We have been very clear with Chris and Shane that giving them another opportunity means that the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher,” Irsay-Gordon said, via the team’s website. “Chris and Shane are both capable of facing this challenge head-on and finding a way to achieve the results that our fans deserve, which is winning games, getting to the postseason and ultimately winning championships.”
Steichen is 25-26 in his three seasons with the Colts while the team is 70-78-1 since Ballard was hired in 2017.
The Colts claimed linebacker John Bullock off waivers, the team announced Monday.
The Buccaneers waived Bullock on Friday.
Bullock appeared in 15 games with the Buccaneers this season, playing five defensive snaps and 253 on special teams. He totaled 10 special teams tackles.
He originally signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent on May 9.
Bullock saw action in 47 career games at Nebraska and recorded 126 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, one interception and three forced fumbles. He garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition in 2024.
