Anthony Richardson lost his starting job last year. It appears he has held onto the backup job this year.
The Colts have not announced who will enter the season as Daniel Jones’ backup, but Richardson outplayed Riley Leonard in the preseason.
Richardson completed 7 of 10 passes for 80 yards in the preseason finale against the Lions on Saturday. He finished the preseason 21-of-33 for 249 yards and an interception.
“I just wanted to go out there and operate the offense and be confident,” Richardson said, via Abby Halpin of the team website. “I was out there with the starters, so I just wanted to go out there and showcase that I could manage the game and be out there and let it rip. I think I did that to a certain extent.”
Leonard was 3-for-7 for 48 yards and an interception against the Lions, finished the preseason 20-of-42 for 199 yards and two interceptions.
The Colts did not throw a touchdown pass in three preseason games.
“I just want to do my best and put my best foot forward,” Richardson said. “I want everyone to win and everybody to reach their goals, dreams and aspirations that they’ve wanted since they were a little kid.”
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in 2023, is entering the final year of his contract.
Colts Clips
Colts receiver Alec Pierce got back to practice on Thursday, having come off the physically unable to perform list after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
Pierce said after the session that he’s on schedule with the season quickly approaching.
“Yeah, Week 1 is the goal,” Pierce said, via transcript from the team. “[J]ust first time being back out here, wearing the helmet, playing with the other NFL players, right? So, it’s — you got to knock a little bit of rust off, but been working in PT, been working kind of off and on with the trainers. They’ve been doing a good job preparing me, getting me ready.
“So, just a little different once you get back out here, get timing from Daniel [Jones] and these other NFL arms.”
Though Pierce noted he’s been ramping up throughout camp, the process of getting back on the field was still a little tough on him, mentally.
“You just got to find ways to try and stay in it because you’re going to be in those meetings and stuff,” Pierce said. “It’s good to be around the guys. They kind of — they keep your spirits up and stuff because sitting and watching film and watching walk-through, watching practice, like it gets a little monotonous. You want to be out there. You want to be out there helping the team, making plays with the team, working with your brothers. But the guys have been great. They’ve been checking in with me. Other than just not being out there on the field, everything’s been the same.”
Head coach Shane Steichen said it was great to have Pierce back on the field and the team is working to get him ready for Week 1. That’s a good sign for Pierce as he continues his process.
Last season, Pierce caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards with six touchdowns. He’s led the league in yards per reception in each of the last two years.
The Browns confirmed the release of wide receiver Cedric Tillman on Thursday afternoon and they also announced that they’ve replaced him on the roster with another 2023 third-round pick.
They have claimed cornerback Mekhi Blackmon off of waivers. Blackmon was cut loose by the Colts on Wednesday.
Blackmon entered the NFL with the Vikings and he was traded to the Colts ahead of the 2025 season. Blackmon appeared in 15 games as a rookie, missed 2024 with a torn ACL and played in all 17 games during his only year in Indianapolis.
Blackmon has 105 tackles, three interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery for his career. Assuming he makes it through Sunday’s cut to 53 players, he’ll try to add to those totals in his third NFL stop.
The Colts have signed one of their special teams players to a contract extension.
Indianapolis announced that punter Rigoberto Sanchez has signed a new deal on Thursday.
According to multiple reporters, Sanchez’s extension is for two years. He was previously set to enter the last year of his contract.
Sanchez, 31, is about to start his 10th season after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Hawaii. Having replaced Pat McAfee, he’s been the Colts punter ever since, with the exception of a few games in 2020 that he missed while dealing with a cancerous tumor. And he missed the 2022 season with a torn Achilles.
Last season, Sanchez averaged 48.8 yards on his 44 punts with a 44.7-yard net average. 50 percent of his punts were downed inside the 20.
Sanchez and the Colts will play their preseason finale on Saturday afternoon against the Lions.
The Colts are getting a key player back on the field.
Per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 Indianapolis, Alec Pierce is being activated off of the physically unable to perform list on Thursday.
Head coach Shane Steichen said earlier this week that Pierce was nearing his return.
Pierce has been sidelined after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
The Colts signed Pierce to a four-year, $114 million deal in March to keep the young wideout with the club. He’s coming off his best season, having caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards with six touchdowns in 15 games in 2025.
In his 64 career games, Pierce has recorded 157 receptions for 2,934 yards with 17 touchdowns.
Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been out the last two weeks with a back injury, expects to play Week One. But that doesn’t mean his back is fully healed.
Ward said his back was bothering him last season, continued to bother him at the start of training camp, and is something he’ll just have to accept now.
“It’s gonna be something I got to deal with, something I gotta maintain, something I gotta manage,” Ward said via JJ Stankevitz of Colts.com. “Definitely not gonna be fixed overnight or over the next couple of times. So I expect to be ready for Week 1.”
Ward said even if he doesn’t feel 100 percent all season, he thinks he can go when the Colts need him.
“The main goal is just to be ready on Sundays,” Ward said. “I expect that I’ll be ready.”
The 30-year-old Ward signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Colts, and injuries have been a major issue for him in Indianapolis. Last year he suffered three concussions and missed 12 games, and this year he has the back injury. But despite the health concerns, Ward thinks he can play, and play well, this year.
The Colts signed free agent cornerback Kenneth Harris, the team announced Wednesday.
In a corresponding move, the Colts waived cornerback Mekhi Blackmon.
Harris participated in the Patriots’ offseason program and training camp until earlier this week, when they waived him. He signed with New England as an undrafted free agent.
Harris appeared in 59 career games with 29 starts at Oklahoma State (2023-25) and Arkansas State (2020-22). He compiled 113 tackles, 61.5 tackles for loss, one sack, 28 passes defensed and three interceptions.
Blackmon was acquired via trade with the Vikings almost exactly one year ago today. He has played 32 career games, with 14 starts, with the Colts (2025) and Vikings (2023-24). He has registered 105 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, 15 passes defensed, three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
The Colts have revealed their quarterback plans for their final preseason game.
Anthony Richardson will start against the Lions and head coach Shane Steichen said that the plan is for him to play the first quarter of the game. Riley Leonard, who is Richardson’s competition for the backup job, will take the second quarter with Easton Stick playing the rest of the game.
The setup means that Richardson will be on the field with many Colts starters. Steichen said the plan is for the starters — running back Jonathan Taylor won’t be part of the group — to play 8-12 plays before returning to the bench.
Steichen did not say that the pecking order for Saturday will be the same as the depth chart for the regular season, but it would seem to open the door to Richardson securing the No. 2 spot behind Daniel Jones with a strong outing.
There is some positive news on the injury front for the Colts.
Via multiple reporters, head coach Shane Steichen said on Tuesday morning that receiver Alec Pierce may return to practice later this week, though he will not practice on Tuesday.
Pierce has been sidelined after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. Steichen noted that the team has not had conversations about keeping Pierce on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, which is another sign that the team is planning on having him for early in the season — if not Week 1 itself.
Pierce, 26, signed a four-year, $114 million deal with the Colts in March to stick with the club. He’s coming off his best season, having caught 47 passes for 1,003 yards with six touchdowns in 15 games in 2025.
Additionally, Steichen noted that cornerback Charvarius Ward will return to practice on Tuesday. He has been sidelined by a back issue.
The NFL’s second wave of “Rivalries” uniforms were unveiled on Tuesday.
All the teams from the NFC North and AFC South will wear the uniforms at some point during the 2026 season for a home game against a divisional opponent. They can be worn for games during the 2027 and 2028 seasons as well.
The first game to feature the new threads will come in Week 3 when the Colts don their new “Anvil Strike” look against the Texans. The Packers will debut their alternates in Week 5 against the Bears while Week 8 will see both the Jaguars and Lions throw on the new uniforms.
Week 10 will bring the Titans into the fold and the Texans will sport their alternate look when the Colts visit in Week 11. The Vikings will debut their rivalry outfits against the Lions in Week 15 and the Bears will be the last team to join the fun when they host Green Bay in Week 16.
