If Anthony Richardson Is Content With Losing QB Competition, Why Is His Agent Giving Quotes to ESPN?

Anthony Richardson recently learned, along with the rest of us, that he will not be the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2025 season. And not only that, head coach Shane Steichen felt it necessary to emphasize that Richardson’s replacement, Daniel Jones, wasn’t just the Week 1 starter, but the starter for the season. Ouch.

It’s not like Richardson has done much to really convince them he’s the guy, though. He makes one otherworldly throw every once in a while, but beyond that, he doesn’t inspire confidence. His two most notable plays from the preseason were a sack that nearly got him seriously injured and a downfield dime that turned out to be the wrong throw after looking at the tape (the wheel route, which was likely hot, was wide open for a touchdown).

After learning of the decision, Richardson was surrounded by a scrum of reporters. In that situation, as a human, it would be understandable to express some anger and frustration. However, he remained magnanimous.

“You gotta respect the decision. They feel like [Jones is] a better fit for the team, a better fit for the outcome of us winning. You just gotta respect it and keep working. It doesn’t undermine any of the other work I’ve been putting in … it doesn’t say that I haven’t improved. I’m proud of the improvement I’ve made,” Richardson said.

He added that there aren’t any “hard feelings” about the decision and that he knows he must not let it affect how he views himself as a person or a player.

“[Steichen] made a decision,” he said. “That’s the decision we’ve got to live with, but no hard feelings, nothing personal. I’ve just got to keep growing. I just can’t let me not being a starter stop me from going and being the person, the player that I’m supposed to be.”

Anthony Richardson on losing the quarterback battle: pic.twitter.com/6lpfRNkie8

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) August 19, 2025

However, not long afterwards, ESPN’s Stephen Holder got hold of Richardson’s agent, Deiric Jackson (or perhaps it was the other way around?), who had a very different opinion from his client on how the situation was handled.

“We have a lot to discuss [with the Colts]… Trust is a big factor and that is, at best, questionable right now. Anthony came back and made the improvements in the areas he needed to improve. And by all accounts, he had a great camp,” Jackson said.

From Holder’s perspective, it seemed like Jackson was under the impression that the Jones signing back in March meant that the decision on the team’s QB1 in 2025 had been “predetermined.” All we have to say is: if you can’t beat Daniel “Danny Dimes” Jones in a training camp battle in the year of our lord 2025, you might need to look at yourself and work on improving.