Colts Backup Qb Battle Heads To Split Decision After Preseason Finale

The Indianapolis Colts closed the preseason with a 25-16 loss to the Detroit Lions inside Lucas Oil Stadium, giving both quarterbacks vying for the backup job one final quarter to showcase why they deserve to suit up with the horseshoe on their helmet each Sunday. 

Detroit certainly didn’t make things easier and controlled the finale with 356 total yards, running 75 offensive plays while converting 13-of-19 third downs. Indianapolis was limited to just 48 plays in comparison and finished just 1-for-10 on third down. Despite the Colts’ defense giving their offense three short fields, Indy could only score 16 points on nine true drives.

Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard made for a whimsical debate over the course of training camp through the preseason. Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, got the start with the first-team offensive line in a unit that also featured receiver Keenan Allen making his Colts debut. On the Colts’ second offensive play, Richardson dropped back and found Allen on a deep crosser for 24 yards to march right into Lions territory. Yes, you heard that correctly. It was Allen who caught the first pass of the game, which would actually be the Colts’ second-longest play from scrimmage.

The Colts’ first two drives stalled just outside of the red zone as Blake Grupe made both of his field goals from 46-yards and 36-yards out. Spencer Shrader later drilled a 60-yarder as both kickers had one last audition in Indy.

The starting defensive unit needed just three plays to terminate the Lions opening drive, which set the tone as the Colts forced four turnovers and seized possession inside enemy territory three times. Standout cornerback Sauce Gardner picked off Lions’ QB Luke Altmyer, who was trying to fit his second throw into a tight window while on the run. 

Across 17 snaps, Richardson completed 7-of-10 passes for 80 yards and took one sack on his final snap as the offense generated 100 total yards during his three drives. In three preseason games, Richardson finished 21-for-33 with 249 passing yards and one interception. The dual-threat runner also added 68 rushing yards on 10 carries and one rushing touchdown with one fumble.

Then it was Leonard’s turn. After the Lions executed a 16-play drive that took over eight minutes off the game clock, Leonard had seven minutes to prove why he should earn the backup QB job. He took the opposite approach of a soft landing as he tucked it himself, lowered his shoulder and absorbed a massive hit from Lions linebacker and former Colt Joe Bachie.

It looked bleak as the backups seemingly stalled near midfield, but facing fourth-and-6, Leonard stepped up in the pocket to deliver a strong throw while taking a hit, and completed a 25-yard pass on a corner to receiver Anthony Gould. The 5-foot-9 slot receiver led the Colts with a team-high four catches for 51 receiving yards, including the longest play of the day. 

Two plays later, second-year running back DJ Giddens showed patience in the backfield before plunging six yards into the end zone to level the score at 13-13. For both Leonard and Giddens, it was exactly the kind of drive both players needed to potentially stamp their name on the 53-man roster. Then came the other side of the evaluation after Curry recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

Despite excellent field position, nothing developed. Leonard’s first pass fell short after pressure disrupted the pass protection and altered the throw. After he short-armed a bubble route that fell incomplete on the next play, the Lions blitz caused a whiff from Giddens in pass protection, and Leonard’s throw floated into the diving hands of cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The sixth-round QB in the 2025 draft was limited to just 12 snaps, and probably wishes that he could erase the last four. In three preseason games, Leonard finished 20-of-42 for 199 passing yards, with two interceptions and two fumbles. 

Richardson caught a rhythm with the second unit that was simply absent when Leonard was the signal caller. Both quarterbacks dealt with their share of errors, whether it was Richardson securing the snaps or Leonard throwing the ball past the line of scrimmage. It is fair to say that Leonard was more consistent during training camp, but if the preseason matters at all, then Richardson clearly outperformed Leonard to earn the backup job. 

It seems like each time one of the Colts’ rookie edge rushers makes a play, the other seems to make a play of his own. Whether it be in practice or the preseason games, both Caden Curry and George Gumbs Jr. have shown flashes of their ability to create havoc in the backfield or force momentum-shifting plays. Curry, sixth-round draft pick and Greenwood Ind. native, recovered a fumble on a kickoff late in the first half. Just two plays into the second half, Gumbs stripped the ball out of the hands of Altmyer, then recovered the fumble to give the Colts reserves excellent field position. 

There are just 24 hours until all 32 NFL franchises must decrease their rosters from 90 players to a final 53-man roster, by Sunday at 6 p.m. The Colts can allow a third emergency QB to suit up without having to use an active roster spot, but the decision will ultimately decide who the organization intends to continue developing heading into the 2026 season.