At a press conference in Indianapolis, head coach Shane Steichen announced that the Colts would turn to former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones under center. Anthony Richardson will be relegated to backup duties after failing to do much to suggest that he was the better fit.

The move comes as little surprise on two fronts. General manager Chris Ballard and Steichen are both sitting atop seats that are getting hotter by the day. It only makes sense that they’ll play the more experienced quarterback to pocket a few wins and potentially save their jobs. Of course, the Colts also have 14 million reasons to play him as well, $13 million of which is guaranteed. This goes against the wishes of the majority of the Indianapolis fanbase, most of whom (anticipating a losing season) think the Colts’ brass should be sticking with Richardson in the hopes that he can develop before it comes time to pull the trigger on his fifth-year option. That option would tie him in through 2027 and would be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million guaranteed. The fans want to see him develop, and the head coach wants to keep his head off the chopping block. It’s a public relations nightmare.

For fantasy football managers, this is hardly a surprise. Jones and Richardson are two of the last “starters” being drafted in deep-bench best ball leagues. Most assumed Jones would start the season with the ball, but few expect him to keep it before Richardson gets another shot. Thus begins a QB carousel of two that will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout 2025. Steichen has said publicly that the job belongs to Jones for the duration of the season. As pointed out by The Coachspeak Index on Twitter, Steichen very rarely tells the truth to the media. Everyone sees right through it and expects the quarterback tango.

Neither player is worthy of a pick in redraft, except for exceptionally large leagues or leagues with enormous benches. Managers who are absolutely desperate and need to draft one should take it a step further and draft both for insurance.

Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)