Some members of the NFL neighborhood beforehand questioned if the Indianapolis Colts would take into account taking a flier on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders by way of the 14th decide of the 2025 draft.
The membership signed former New York Giants starter Daniel Jones to compete with 2023 first-round draft decide Anthony Richardson for the beginning job this summer time.
Whereas talking with reporters on Monday, Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard indicated he’s open to grabbing a quarterback as early as the primary spherical of the player-selection course of on Thursday evening.
“You don’t ever wish to move up a participant you suppose has an opportunity to be actually good,” Ballard defined, as shared by Myles Simmons of Professional Soccer Speak. “I believe you say that for each place, however particularly at quarterback.”
Ballard added he “completely” might take a quarterback at decide No. 14 “if there’s a participant we deem is worthy of it.”
For an article printed on April 16, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated revealed he believes Jones can be Indianapolis’ 2025 Week 1 starter, partially as a result of “there’ll be a pure curiosity about what Jones can do with the workforce Chris Ballard and (head coach) Shane Steichen have assembled.” That mentioned, Jones’ injury history coupled with how his Giants tenure ended this previous fall suggests he will not be a long-term reply for the Colts.
In the meantime, injuries have limited Richardson to simply 15 begins over a attainable 32 profession contests (minus a two-game benching this previous November following the “tired” controversy). Breer famous that Richardson merely “hasn’t achieved practically sufficient with the possibilities he’s been given” because the spring of 2023 to be thought-about the favourite to win the upcoming competitors for the QB1 gig.
“The one factor you’ll be able to see with the quarterback place now, you higher get to know them within the draft course of since you by no means know when it’s going to come back again to you,” Ballard mentioned on Monday. “That’s the one factor, I at all times type of giggle when a quarterback turns us down, like, ‘No, we’re not going to go to with you.’ Three years from now, we’ll see how that performs out — since you simply take a look at it. The altering of groups now, the dearth of persistence, guys are… And all people’s developmental curve and journey is completely different. So that you by no means know when it’s going to come back again round to you.”
The beforehand talked about Sanders is at present anticipated to fall to at least the New Orleans Saints on the ninth decide of the draft. ESPN’s Jordan Reid believes New Orleans will take Sanders, whereas Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Monday that “there’s a perception across the league that the Saints are extra focused on utilizing a excessive decide on an offensive or defensive lineman.”
Within the occasion that the Saints move on Sanders, it is doubtless he’d be accessible for the Colts at decide No. 14 except a workforce leapfrogs Indianapolis within the draft order for the polarizing prospect.
“We received two guys which have had some actually robust flashes they usually’ve had some dangerous moments too,” Ballard mentioned about Jones and Richardson on Monday, per Josh Alper of Professional Soccer Speak. “That’s OK. I believe each of them can be higher due to this, and I believe the workforce can be higher due to it. …If I’m a betting man, sooner or later each of them will assist us.”
Maybe the 2025 Colts can even get assist from a 3rd quarterback chosen by the membership on Thursday.
