The Indianapolis Colts have kicked off voluntary offseason workouts, which means the quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones is about to get underway.
Phase One of the offseason program is meetings and workouts -- not on-field football -- but it will lay the ground for the battle that will last throughout the summer.
On Monday, general manager Chris Ballard said the team isn't entering the process with any preconceived notions, and the decision will ultimately come from a collective choice between coach Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, owner Jim Irsay and himself. Ballard added that the struggles both Richardson and Jones have experienced in their respective careers can be good for each.
"Sometimes you've got to be bad before you can be good at playing this game," he said. "Sometimes you've got to struggle before you can be good, all right? We've got two guys that have had some really strong flashes and have had some bad moments, too, and that's OK. I think both of them will be better because of this, and I think the team will be better because of it. You know, competition brings out the best in everybody, and I think we'll see that.
"To sit here a day before we even start the offseason and have a vision of how. ... You don't want to begin with an end in mind. We're not gonna do that. It's like the draft. You don't want to begin with an end in mind. You've got to let things play out the way they should and compete and who gives the team the best chance to win. Look, if I'm a betting man, at some point, both of them will help us."
Indy imported Jones, who was cut last season from New York, in March to compete with Richardson. The Colts' former No. 4 overall pick was benched for two games last season and missed four others due to injury.
Ballard was asked if being open-minded about the quarterback position meant he would consider drafting one in the first or second round of this week's draft.
"If there's a player that we deem is worthy of it, absolutely, yeah," the Colts GM said. "Why wouldn't we? Yeah."
Asked if that would mean it's a three-QB competition, Ballard responded: "Sure. If you want to write that story, you can."
The more likely reality is that the Colts bolster the rest of the roster while letting Richardson and Jones duke it out for the Week 1 starting gig.
