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Anthony Richardson: I'm just looking forward to helping the team

Anthony Richardson will start for the Indianapolis Colts in Saturday's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, with head coach Shane Steichen aiming to give him the first quarter. The decision comes amid ongoing trade speculation and a quarterback competition, with Richardson expressing his focus on helping the team.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 3 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 22–25, 2026 Published 58m ago

Richardson Gets the Start

Anthony Richardson will start under center for the Indianapolis Colts in their preseason finale on Saturday against the Detroit Lions, a decision announced by head coach Shane Steichen. According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, Steichen confirmed the plan on Tuesday, with Richardson expected to play the first quarter before giving way to Riley Leonard for the second and Easton Stick for the remainder.

Steichen also said that many of the Colts' starters would join Richardson on the field for the opening stretch, though running back Jonathan Taylor is not part of that group. The plan calls for the starters to play between 8 and 12 plays before heading to the bench.

Trade Context and the Backup Battle

Richardson's start comes in the context of an offseason trade request and an ongoing competition for the backup quarterback role. Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters last month that the team is "not going to give him away," a sentiment echoed by assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who said the Colts want to have three quarterbacks "that can play" — a remark NBC Sports described as a strong hint that both Richardson and Riley Leonard could make the roster behind projected starter Daniel Jones.

Jones, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, is targeting a Week 1 return and will sit out Saturday's game alongside Taylor. Steichen did not explicitly confirm that the pecking order for the preseason finale will match the regular-season depth chart.

Richardson's Performance and Mindset

Richardson has had a [[hopefully]] edited preseason. In two appearances — a start against the New England Patriots and a backup stint against the Atlanta Falcons — he completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards with an interception, while also rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown. His most recent outing was tougher, as he went 3-of-9 for 24 yards, added 15 yards on three carries, and was sacked twice in a 34-6 loss to the Falcons.

When asked about his future with the team, Richardson expressed optimism. "I'm just looking forward to helping the team," he said, per NBC Sports. "They truly believe that I have a chance to be on this squad, and I love that. I just want to be able to contribute, put my best foot forward and help the team win."

The quarterback competition between Richardson and Leonard is expected to extend through Saturday's game, with the team's decisions on roster spots likely to follow.

Looking Ahead

Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, will have a chance to make one more impression in a Colts uniform this weekend, whether to secure a role as the team's backup or to offer a final showcase for other suitors. Whatever the outcome, Richardson said he's focused on helping the team however he can: "I just want to be able to contribute."

How each outlet told it

Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes Richardson starting the finale amid trade rumors, framing it as a chance to impress suitors. — speculative—uses 'should be motivated' and 'go out with a bang.'

Facts Included:

Richardson Sr. will start the preseason finale against the Lions.
Shane Steichen announced on Tuesday, per ESPN's Stephen Holder.
Starters will likely play 'a series or two.'
Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor will be sideline; Jones targeting Week 1 return from torn Achilles.
Richardson's preseason stats: 14-of-23 for 169 yards, one interception, 68 rushing yards, one touchdown in two appearances.
Richardson requested a trade; Chris Ballard said 'not going to give him away.'
Richardson's quote: 'I'm just looking forward to helping the team' and 'They truly believe that I still have a chance to be on this squad.'

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Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes Richardson starting the final preseason game, focusing on the immediate lineup decision. — neutral/measured—describes the plan without speculation.

Facts Included:

Anthony Richardson will start the Colts' final preseason game against the Lions.
Head coach Shane Steichen plans for Richardson to play the first quarter.
Riley Leonard will play the second quarter, Easton Stick the rest.
Starters (excluding running back Jonathan Taylor) will play 8-12 plays.
Steichen did not confirm the pecking order matches the regular season depth chart.
The article notes Richardson could secure the No. 2 spot behind Daniel Jones with a strong outing.

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Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC

Framing: Highlights Richardson's quote about helping the team, focusing on his mindset amid trade rumors. — sympathetic to Richardson—uses his quote and frames the competition as unresolved.

Facts Included:

Richardson requested a trade this offseason.
Assistant GM Ed Dodds said the Colts want three quarterbacks 'that can play.'
Richardson's quote: 'I'm just looking forward to helping the team.'
Leonard started Saturday's game and went 7-of-14 for 62 yards, leading to two field goals.
Richardson was 3-of-9 for 24 yards, three rushes for 15 yards, and two sacks in a 34-6 loss.
The competition will likely continue through the final preseason game.

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What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimAnthony Richardson will start the Indianapolis Colts' final preseason game against the Detroit Lions.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC, Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimColts head coach Shane Steichen announced on Tuesday that Anthony Richardson will start the preseason finale against the Lions, as reported by ESPN's Stephen Holder.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimColts head coach Shane Steichen said the plan is for Anthony Richardson to play the first quarter of the preseason finale.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimRiley Leonard will play the second quarter of the Colts' preseason finale, with Easton Stick playing the rest of the game.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimColts starters, excluding running back Jonathan Taylor, are planned to play 8-12 plays in the preseason finale.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimSteichen did not confirm that the pecking order for the preseason finale will match the regular season depth chart.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC
ClaimThe Colts' starters will likely play "a series or two" in the preseason finale, with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor remaining on the sidelines.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimDaniel Jones is targeting a Week 1 return from a torn Achilles.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimAnthony Richardson requested a trade from the Colts this offseason.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC, Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimColts assistant general manager Ed Dodds said the Colts want to have three quarterbacks "that can play."	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC
ClaimAnthony Richardson said, "I'm just looking forward to helping the team. They truly believe that I have a chance to be on this squad and I love that. I just want to be able to contribute, put my best foot forward and help the team win."	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC, Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimRiley Leonard started the Colts' preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons and went 7-of-14 for 62 yards, leading to two field goals.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC
ClaimAnthony Richardson was 3-of-9 for 24 yards, with three rushes for 15 yards and two sacks, in a 34-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC
ClaimThe Colts lost to the Atlanta Falcons 34-6 in a preseason game.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC
ClaimAcross two preseason appearances, Anthony Richardson completed 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and an interception, while rushing for 68 yards and one touchdown.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe quarterback competition between Richardson and Riley Leonard will likely continue through the Colts' final preseason game.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 22, 2026, 11:45 PM UTC
ClaimColts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters that the team is "not going to give him away" regarding Anthony Richardson.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimAnthony Richardson was the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimRichardson started the Colts' preseason opener against the New England Patriots.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Bleacher Report as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC
ClaimThe Colts' starters, excluding Jonathan Taylor, are planned to play 8-12 plays before returning to the bench.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Nbc Sports as of Aug 25, 2026, 5:18 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 3 articles consulted: Bleacher Report, Nbc Sports 20 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-25