The Indianapolis Colts weren't satisfied with Anthony Richardson's year two performance in 2024, so they opted to bring in higher-level competition than what the previous backup, veteran Joe Flacco, could provide.
They did this by signing former New York Giants starting QB Daniel Jones to a one-year, $14 million deal to compete with Richardson for the privilege of commanding Shane Steichen's offense in the head coach's third year leading Indy.
But Indianapolis also lost third-string signal-caller Sam Ehlinger to the Denver Broncos, opening up another void to fill on the depth chart. While it might not seem like much of a need on paper, if the starting quarterback (Richardson or Jones) were to miss any time, there would be a need to sign a backup anyway.
The Colts drafted Notre Dame's Riley Leonard in the sixth round (189th overall) to quell this situation, giving Indianapolis three names in the quarterback room for maximum insurance. Sports Illustrated's Dan Lyons has Leonard as the ninth-ranked field general out of 14 eligible in his piece ranking rookie QBs based on their situation. Here's what Lyons had to say.
"The Colts have a type. While the franchise certainly hopes that former No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson can turn the corner and take command of the starting quarterback job, that is no guarantee. The franchise signed Daniel Jones, a similar dual-threat player, to compete with Richardson this season, and then selected yet another player with a similar skillset in Notre Dame's Riley Leonard."
Lyons concluded by stating:
"Leonard doesn't have the arm talent of Richardson or Jones, but he's a sound decisionmaker and instinctual playmaker with the ball in his hands. He certainly won't have the upside of Richardson, but his steady hand makes him an ideal backup for the type of offense that coach Shane Steichen wants to run in Indianapolis."
Leonard has the caliber of a career backup in the NFL, but showed his promise in 2024 with Notre Dame while leading them to a National Championship appearance against Ohio State.
Here are his vibrant statistics.
-269/403 passing / 2,861 passing yards / 21 touchdowns / 8 interceptions
-184 rushes / 906 rushing yards / 4.9 average per carry / 17 touchdowns
Leonard had a fantastic 38 all-purpose scores and showed an ability to lead an offense in the most pressure-filled and crucial game situations, which likely helped general manager Chris Ballard in drafting him.
Leonard has a skill set that fits Shane Steichen's offense well, which likely helped general manager Chris Ballard select him. As Lyons also points out, Leonard might not have the pure talent that Richardson possesses, but he can still get the job done if he ever needs to suit up the pads under center.
The Notre Dame product will help Indianapolis' defense prepare for Sunday contests while learning valuable information on being a professional field general from Richardson and Jones. However, don't expect Leonard to leap over either Richardson or Jones for valuable playing time during the regular season.
