Anthony Richardson Won't Play in Colts-Bengals After Losing QB Battle to Daniel Jones

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson's preseason is over.

Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Thursday that Richardson will not play in Saturday's preseason contest against the Cincinnati Bengals after he lost the quarterback race to Daniel Jones.

"Well, I think he's one play away from going in in an actual game," Steichen said. "We don't want to take the risk there. In that situation, we've got a lot of the threes and fours playing in this game. It's the last opportunity to prove it, to make the 53-man roster. And that's where it's at."

Both Richardson and Jones played in the Colts' first two preseason games against the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers.

Neither was excellent, but Jones seemed to have the upper hand in the statistical department.

Colts vs. Ravens

• Daniel Jones: 10-of-21 for 144 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions
• Anthony Richardson: 2-of-3 for 21 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions

Colts vs. Packers

• Daniel Jones: 7-of-11 for 101 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions
• Anthony Richardson: 6-of-11 for 73 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions

Jones will also sit out the game against the Bengals, meaning Riley Leonard and Jason Bean will be under center to close out the preseason.

This surely isn't what the Colts envisioned when they apeared to make Richardson the face of the franchise with the No. 4 pick of the 2023 NFL draft. However, injuries and inconsistency have been the story of his career to this point.

He played just four games as a rookie because of injuries and then 11 games in his second season in part because he was temporarily benched for veteran Joe Flacco. He completed just 47.7 percent of his passes for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in those 11 contests last year.

For his part, Richardson told reporters, "Just gotta respect the decision. They feel like he's a better fit with the team. Better fit for the outcome of us winning. So you just gotta respect it and keep working. That doesn't undermine any of the work I've been putting in. That doesn't say I haven't improved. I'm proud of the improvement I've made. [Head coach Shane Steichen] has also been proud of that. So you just gotta keep stacking on that, keep getting better."

It's not as if Jones has been dominant throughout his career since he entered the league as the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft. He is 24-44-1 as a starter and largely failed to live up to expectations with the New York Giants.

If Jones struggles, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Colts turn toward Richardson as the season progresses. That means keeping him healthy is important, and they aren't taking any risks with the final preseason game.