Colts list 'Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson’ at QB on first depth chart; both playing vs Ravens

WESTFIELD, Ind. — The Colts continue to be careful about tipping their hand on their open quarterback competition.

Indianapolis released its first depth chart of the season on Monday, an unofficial chart in advance of this week’s trip to Baltimore for Tuesday’s joint practice and Thursday’s preseason opener against the Ravens.

The Colts listed “Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson” as the team’s starting quarterback, the only position on the team to use the designation.

“Both have been doing a really good job,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said earlier this week. “Both of them have made plays at a high level the last couple days, and that's what you want to see. You want to see growth, you want to see completions, you want to see the offense moving up and down the field.”

An NFL team’s depth chart is often fluid, likely not a perfect reflection of the coaching staff’s depth chart at any particular time in the season.

But Steichen has been careful to avoid indicating any way he’s leaning on the quarterback position. The Colts head coach has not yet announced who will start at quarterback against the Ravens.

“Both are going to play in this game,” Steichen said after the team’s practice on Sunday afternoon. “I haven't had a chance to talk to them about who's starting, but I'll address that with them tonight. I want them to hear it from me first before they hear through the media.”

The Colts are scheduled to travel to Baltimore on Monday, making it unlikely that Steichen will announce a starter for Thursday’s game until the end of Tuesday’s joint practice against the Ravens.

From the sounds of it, the decision will not be a good indicator of Steichen’s leanings at the position. The Colts head coach hinted Sunday that the competition will continue through the team’s joint practice and preseason game against the Packers on Aug. 16.

“They'll play a good amount,” Steichen said. “I mean, one will play a good amount this game, and the next one will probably play a good amount the next game.”

The Indianapolis depth chart remains unofficial.

But there are a few other position battles to note as training camp shifts into a different gear with joint practices approaching.

• Tanor Bortolini is listed ahead of veteran Danny Pinter at the center position, the only spot on the starting offensive line that appears to be undecided at this point. Matt Goncalves has gotten almost all of the first-team reps at right guard, but Bortolini and Pinter have been trading off days with the starters. Pinter may be dealing with an injury; he did not practice Sunday.
• Returning running back Tyler Goodson is listed at No. 2 on the depth chart at running back, trailing only superstar Jonathan Taylor and ahead of both rookie D.J. Giddens and veteran Khalil Herbert. Goodson has put together a few moments in training camp, but Giddens has been more impressive to this point.
• Lawrence Central product Cameron McGrone is listed ahead of second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies on the weak side. McGrone has played just eight defensive snaps in his three seasons with the Colts, and Carlies played 242 last season, but the Indianapolis defensive staff has rotated linebackers liberally through the first two weeks of training camp. Carlies wasn’t able to practice on Sunday. The battle for the other starting linebacker job next to Zaire Franklin bears watching, especially with the way former Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie has played in training camp so far. Bachie has taken most of his snaps in the middle, but the Colts believe he can play either starting spot.
• Rookie Justin Walley is listed at the team’s No. 2 starter at outside cornerback, a development that should not come as a surprise, given that veterans Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents are both sidelined by hamstring injuries. Walley, a third-round pick, opened training camp with the starters, and he’s stayed in that spot throughout the first two weeks.
• Spencer Shrader is listed ahead of rookie Maddux Trujillo at kicker. Shrader made 87% of his field goals through the first two weeks and buried a 54-yarder on Sunday; Trujillo has struggled at times, making just 74% in the first two weeks before a pair of short makes Sunday.