Training camp hasn't started yet, right? It's early June, but C.J. Stroud has a sore shoulder and Anthony Richardson is already hurt. We talked about Stroud earlier in the week, but the Richardson development seems like a bigger deal.
(An even more important fantasy performer, Michael Pittman, limped off the practice field Thursday after getting tangled up on a route. Initial reports are that it’s just a bump; he’ll miss some practice time, but sounds like he’ll be OK.)
According to the IndyStar's Stephen Holder, Richardson aggravated the AC joint in his throwing shoulder and will miss some time; Shane Steichen is noncommittal how long he'll be out. Expected to be fine for training camp (which is six weeks away), and the story points out that Richardson doesn't need surgery, which I guess is good news (as opposed to the alternative). But the fact it even needs to be mentioned as a consideration, dismissed or not, is worth mentioning. Richardson did have surgery on that AC joint in 2023.
Richardson wasn't necessarily a lock to open as the Colts' starter anyway, with the team signing Daniel Jones in the offseason and indicating the two would split reps in the preseason. So given this news, a closer look at Jones as an NFL and fantasy quarterback is warranted.
As recently as 2022, Jones went 9-6 and led the Giants to the playoffs, with a postseason win over the Vikings. He was a top-12 quarterback in typical fantasy scoring systems that season, with his running a big factor. Then he got hurt in 2023 and benched in 2024 before being released. But there's still some fantasy appeal, if he is indeed starting in Indianapolis.
In 2023 and 2024 combined, Jones started 16 games, so basically a full season. He didn't do much winning (3-13, ugh) but continued to hold some serviceable fantasy value. Combine his numbers from those years into one 16-game season, as I've done in the table below, and Jones would have ranked... 19th among quarterbacks. So not a great starter, but a serviceable No. 2 or decent Superflex option. And that's while throwing a pitiful 10 touchdowns. Put him in a slightly better offense and get him up to throwing a touchdown per game while still running his usual amount, and maybe he's a top-15 quarterback.
| JONES '23-'24 AND 2024 QUARTERBACKS (10+STARTS) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GS | Pass | TD | Int | Run | TD | Pts |
| Lamar Jackson | 17 | 4172 | 41 | 4 | 915 | 4 | 490.1 |
| Joe Burrow | 17 | 4918 | 43 | 9 | 201 | 2 | 450.0 |
| Baker Mayfield | 17 | 4500 | 41 | 16 | 378 | 3 | 446.8 |
| Josh Allen | 17 | 3731 | 28 | 6 | 531 | 12 | 432.4 |
| Jayden Daniels | 17 | 3568 | 25 | 9 | 891 | 6 | 409.5 |
| Jared Goff | 17 | 4629 | 37 | 12 | 56 | 0 | 394.8 |
| Sam Darnold | 17 | 4319 | 35 | 12 | 212 | 1 | 383.2 |
| Bo Nix | 17 | 3775 | 29 | 12 | 430 | 4 | 379.0 |
| Kyler Murray | 17 | 3851 | 21 | 11 | 572 | 5 | 365.8 |
| Jalen Hurts | 15 | 2903 | 18 | 5 | 630 | 14 | 364.2 |
| Patrick Mahomes | 16 | 3928 | 26 | 11 | 307 | 2 | 344.3 |
| Geno Smith | 17 | 4320 | 21 | 15 | 272 | 2 | 339.2 |
| Brock Purdy | 15 | 3864 | 20 | 12 | 323 | 5 | 335.5 |
| Justin Herbert | 17 | 3870 | 23 | 3 | 306 | 2 | 334.1 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 17 | 3897 | 28 | 11 | 107 | 0 | 321.6 |
| Caleb Williams | 17 | 3541 | 20 | 6 | 489 | 0 | 312.0 |
| Jordan Love | 15 | 3389 | 25 | 11 | 83 | 1 | 289.8 |
| C.J. Stroud | 17 | 3727 | 20 | 12 | 233 | 0 | 289.7 |
| Daniel Jones 23-24 | 16 | 3526 | 10 | 13 | 471 | 3 | 281.4 |
| Matthew Stafford | 16 | 3762 | 20 | 8 | 41 | 0 | 272.2 |
| Kirk Cousins | 14 | 3508 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 247.4 |
| Bryce Young | 12 | 2403 | 15 | 9 | 249 | 6 | 241.1 |
| Drake Maye | 12 | 2276 | 15 | 10 | 421 | 2 | 231.9 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 11 | 2867 | 19 | 7 | 49 | 0 | 228.3 |
| Russell Wilson | 11 | 2482 | 16 | 5 | 155 | 2 | 215.6 |
| Anthony Richardson | 11 | 1814 | 8 | 12 | 499 | 6 | 211.5 |
| Derek Carr | 10 | 2145 | 15 | 5 | 71 | 1 | 182.4 |
| Trevor Lawrence | 10 | 2045 | 11 | 7 | 119 | 3 | 181.7 |
| Will Levis | 12 | 2091 | 13 | 12 | 183 | 0 | 176.9 |
I'm not going to stump too hard for Jones. He did not, for example, produce any great receivers even in his more successful Giants season. (Darius Slayton, with 724-770 yards in 2022-2023, was the best performer.) But he also didn't have much around him (Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Richie James, aging Darren Waller briefly -- not much). The Colts have a little more going for them to put around him, and a similarly great running back.
I think there was a small chance Jones was going to be a Week 1 starter even before this development, and a larger one now. Nothing to get too excited about, perhaps, but he's shown more as a passer to this point than Richardson has, as we've outlined here once or twice in the past. I'll have more interest in Michael Pittman, Josh Downs and rookie tight end Tyler Warren, as a for instance, if it's Jones in the lineup this year.
--Andy Richardson