This offseason the Minnesota Vikings went through a significant amount of change throughout the roster. The most impactful decision was to move on from 14-game winner Sam Darnold. That immediately made it the J.J. McCarthy show, but Kevin O’Connell still needed backup options.
The hope what that late-season acquisition Daniel Jones would have seen the Darnold experiment work, and be interested in having O’Connell breathe life into his career. Instead, despite the Vikings best efforts, he went to Indianapolis hoping to immediately start.
Head coach Shane Steichen had holdover former first round pick Anthony Richardson already rostered, but Jones saw an opportunity. He may be right.
Daniel Jones zeroing in on Colts starting QB job
Two weeks of preseason action are now in the books. That means Shane Steichen has just a single game to determine a starter, and time is running out to get them settled in. The Colts head coach is aware, and ESPN’s Stephen Holder got Steichen’s thought process on Saturday.
“I’ve seen, obviously, three weeks of it, so I’d like to have a decision here shortly. I’m very close. I’ll say that. I’m very close. You’ve got two first-round draft picks, and when they both came in, I made it very clear that this is going to be a battle, and they’re going to compete for the job. And, like I said, I’m going to make the decision I feel is best for the team.”
If Jones thought there was no way he was going to earn a starting role, he would have simply re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings. McCarthy was always going to be the unquestioned leader, but Minnesota has one of the best rosters in football.
Of course Anthony Richardson hasn’t substantiated himself as a leader, and that left the door open. He asked out of a game last year, and Steichen needs his team to find something that works.
Through two games Jones has gotten more work in. He has gone 17-of-32 for 245 yards. He hasn’t used his legs at all, but scrambling is part of his game as well. Richardson is 8-of-14 for 94 yards. The split in playing time suggests that Richardson may be the current leader in the clubhouse.
Related: Insider Tabs MN Vikings Position Group as a Unit to Watch
It seems logical for Steichen to announce a Week 1 starter prior to the final preseason game. The Colts are in action on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. They host the Miami Dolphins on September 7 to kick off the season.
Minnesota doesn’t see the Colts this season after beating them 21-13 last season.
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