Neither Anthony Richardson Sr. nor Daniel Jones are expected to be superheroes. They both aren’t expected to compete with Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes II for the crown of best quarterback in the NFL, and it shows in a recent tier rankings.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with numerous coaches and executives to curate informed opinions and rank the top 34 quarterbacks in the NFL.
Unsurprisingly, both Jones and Richardson ended up in Tier 4 out of a possible five tiers, ranking at 30th and 32nd, respectively.
Sando said Jones could sneak his way up into Tier 3, but needs to prove himself first.
"A couple years ago, Jones was probably worthy of being a 3," a defensive coordinator told Sando. "He still might be that. He has to show it."
But there are still concerns over whether or not Jones has the skills to win as an NFL quarterback.
“I just don't think he is naturally accurate, and I did not think he was in college,” an offensive coach said. “I get nervous with Jones.”
With the right support, some coaches believe Jones can be the 2025 version of Sam Darnold if everything comes together. But he still remains a polarizing passer.
Similar accuracy questions were asked of Richardson, whose chances of being a high-level starter coaches described as a “pipe dream.”
"The accuracy is not there. If you want to do college football RPO-type stuff, that is your guy. But some of the stuff last year was not starter quality,” a front office executive remarked.
The injury issues also remain prominent, especially after Richardson dislocated his right pinkie finger in the Colts’ opening preseason game. One defensive coach doesn't think the Colts are being honest with themselves about Richardson.
"They are not ready to say that they f---ed up, but they are hedging.”
The Colts are hoping that a strong roster around the most important position in football will mask the quarterback mishaps which are bound to come from their two bottom-tier passers. But wishful thinking isn’t going to win titles.
The Colts are looking to capture their first AFC South title since 2014 and return to the postseason after a four-year absence.
It doesn’t seem like the rest of the league believes their quarterbacks can take them there.