Colts GM Says Daniel Jones Has 'Bright Future' With Team, Anthony Richardson Has Had 'Bad Luck'

Colts general manager Chris Ballard indicated Thursday he feels quarterback Daniel Jones will return for at least one more season in Indianapolis.

Jones, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14 that derailed the Colts' playoff hopes, is currently set to his unrestricted free agency this spring.

"I feel very good about Daniel Jones, and where he's at, where he's going," Ballard said Thursday during his end-of-season press conference. "Yes, he's got the Achilles, but I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis."

Ballard also had praise for Anthony Richardson, who he said "made great strides" ahead of his third NFL season.

Richardson ultimately made just two brief appearances, however, as he spent most of the 2025 season sidelined with an eye injury.

"Anthony, he's had some really bad luck... I think time will tell," Ballard said about Richardson's future with the Colts.

The Colts currently have Richardson and rookie quarterback Riley Leonard under contract for next season.

Richardson, who missed most of his rookie 2023 season due to injury, made 11 starts in 2024 but entered last season as Jones' backup.

His campaign as QB2 was derailed when he suffered an orbital bone fracture while working out with warm-up bands, according to head coach Shane Steichen.

Ballard praised Richardson for his attitude, both during his move to QB2 and his recovery from the injury, while speaking about him Thursday.

"At the end of the day, we with Daniel. Just felt he was the right person, at the time, for the job. But saying that, Anthony was making really good strides," Ballard said. "I'll tell you this about him: He's a great teammate. He's a great teammate, and never sulked, never complained. Was doing a great job as a backup quarterback, and then he has a freak accident in the locker room."

Richardson, the No. 4 pick of the 2023 draft, has just one guaranteed year remaining on his rookie contract. The Colts have yet to decide on his club option for 2027.

What the quarterback's future with the franchise looks like could depend on his health, Ballard said.

Richardson was cleared to return to practice ahead of Week 16, although Colts head coach Shane Steichen said at the time he had limited vision in his right eye.

"It was great to get him back out to practice for that three weeks, so we at least get him back involved in the team and moving again," Ballard said. "But he's got to still work through the vision he has, and we'll see what the future holds there... a lot of it's going to do with his health."

When asked if the Colts are considering voiding Richardson's contract based on his health status, Ballard said, "No."

Jones, who had been playing through a broken fibula before he suffered his season-ending injury, is also heading into the offseason with an uncertain health status.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in December that Jones was expected to need between six and eight months to recover from Achilles surgery, raising the possibility he could return in time for training camp this summer.

Ballard said Thursday he was confident in Jones' ability to fully recover from his injury in his first year back.

"Daniel's 28 years old. He's a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So no, I do feel confident that he'll make it back," Ballard said. "Will he be the version you saw right away? Maybe not. But he's still going to be really good. And I think as he goes along and plays, he'll be fine."

Jones had seen his performance dip down the stretch of his first season with the Colts prior to his season-ending injury while losing key offensive linemen including Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann to injuries.

If Ballard is planning on re-signing Jones, the Colts could hope that a healthier offensive line for the start of next season can help shelter the quarterback if he takes some time to ramp up following his return from injury rehab next season.