Anthony Richardson Battles Through Turnovers, Flashes Upside in Colts Preseason Opener vs. Patriots

Anthony Richardson gave the Indianapolis Colts exactly the kind of preseason opener they needed to see. Starting Thursday night against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, Richardson opened the game with a tipped-pass interception and a lost fumble on his first two possessions, then settled in to complete 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards and rush six times for 53 yards and a touchdown before halftime. The uneven-but-ultimately-encouraging outing arrives at a critical moment, with Richardson fighting to hold off Daniel Jones’ backup, Riley Leonard, for the Colts’ No. 2 quarterback job.

Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft, has had a turbulent tenure in Indianapolis. He lost the starting job to Jones last season, saw his 2025 campaign further limited by an orbital bone injury, and requested a trade back in February after the Colts re-signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract. That request still technically stands, but general manager Chris Ballard has said the sides are being realistic — the Colts aren’t giving Richardson away, and for now his path back onto the field runs through training camp and the preseason.

Rough Start, Strong Finish

Head coach Shane Steichen tabbed Richardson to start and play the entire first half against New England, with Leonard taking over for the third quarter. The plan flips for the Colts’ second preseason game on Aug. 22 against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium, when Leonard will start and Richardson will finish. Jones, still working back from a torn Achilles suffered last December, is not expected to play in either contest — Steichen has been blunt that he doesn’t want to take any chances with his starter this early.

Richardson’s first drive did him no favors on the stat sheet: a deflected pass turned into an interception, and he lost a fumble shortly after, the kind of turnover trouble that has dogged him at times throughout his career. But he didn’t let the shaky start linger. Over the rest of the first half, Richardson was sharp and decisive, connecting on better than 78% of his throws while adding the kind of downfield rushing juice that made him a top-five pick in the first place. The 53 rushing yards and score on the ground were a reminder of the dual-threat ceiling that still has evaluators intrigued, even amid the inconsistency.

The QB2 Battle Heats Up

Steichen has made clear that the backup job will go to whichever quarterback proves most consistent, and with Jones sidelined for the preseason, both Richardson and Leonard are getting real, extended run to make their case. The two have been splitting second- and third-team reps throughout training camp without either separating from the other. Thursday’s performance — mistakes and all — gives Richardson a tangible data point in his favor heading into the second half of the exhibition slate.

Leonard, who gained valuable experience with the Colts a season ago, remains a serious threat in the competition and will get his turn to state his own case Saturday against Atlanta before the roles flip again. Ballard has also left open the possibility that Indianapolis could simply keep all three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster after cuts on Aug. 30, meaning Thursday’s game may not be a binary win-or-go scenario for Richardson regardless of how the final grades shake out. Fans tracking the Colts’ quarterback situation can check the latest NFL odds as the QB2 battle continues to shape how bettors view Indianapolis heading into the regular season.

For Richardson, the bigger picture hasn’t changed — his trade request from February technically remains on the books, and his long-term future in Indianapolis is still unresolved. But a performance like Thursday’s, turnovers included, is the type of tape that keeps him squarely in the conversation rather than an afterthought behind Jones and Leonard. The Colts have one more full evaluation window before final roster decisions come due, and Richardson now has some positive momentum to build on when the preseason rotation flips in Atlanta.