Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Riley Leonard has made a strong impression on his coaches this offseason.
INDIANAPOLIS — One of the most pleasant surprises about the 2025 Indianapolis Colts was rookie sixth-round draft pick Riley Leonard.
The Notre Dame product was taken as a late-round developmental quarterback prospect, selected to groom behind Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. as the long-term backup.
However, after a spiral of issues for the Colts, Leonard found himself on the field leading the offense, in the rain, in a stadium where the Colts haven't been successful in over a decade.
Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14 in Jacksonville, thrusting Leonard into the lineup. The rookie played relatively well, but nothing went the Colts' way, as they fell, 36-19.
While Jones was lost for the year, Leonard was also injured in the game. Although he healed in time to play the next week, the Colts had to move quickly to find Jones' replacement, with Leonard in question and Richardson already lost for the year. That led the Colts to sign Philip Rivers and start him for the next three weeks.
With the playoffs no longer a possibility, Leonard got his shot again in Week 18 on the road against the Houston Texans and their No. 1 overall defense. He looked even better than the month prior, completing over 60% of his passes and accounting for three touchdowns.
Jun 10, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (5) participate in a drill during minicamp at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesLeonard's performance generated positive momentum heading into the offseason, where he is now competing with Richardson for the team's backup quarterback role. Richardson is on the trade block, so it's almost a foregone conclusion that Leonard will officially be the QB2 at some point, whether that's 2026 or beyond.
"He’s been really good," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said of Leonard's growth this offseason. "He’s got great command in the huddle. He’s continuing to learn the offense, growing in that nature, going through his reads, going through his progressions, working on his accelerated vision, and going through that stuff. It’s been good to see."
The last time Leonard spoke with reporters this offseason, he expressed a desire to grow in his knowledge of the playbook and understand the intricacies and "the why" of Steichen's system.
Steichen has noticed growth in that area as well.
"Yeah, absolutely. He’s a guy that’s studying like crazy in that classroom and taking it to the field," Steichen said. "Just the conversations that we have, things popped up today where he made some good plays – some conversations that took place and obviously came to life here on the practice field."
The Colts will commence training camp at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind., in late July, where Leonard and Richardson will continue their competition for Colts QB2.
