INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts have their starting quarterback. Head coach Shane Steichen named Daniel Jones the starter for the entire season Tuesday morning.

WISH-TV Colts Insider Kevin Bowen says Jones’ consistency in managing the offense was a key factor in Steichen’s decision to pick the former New York Giants quarterback over Anthony Richardson.

“Manage the operation,” Bowen said. “(There’s) More pressure on Shane Steichen and the skill players around him. but again, who do you trust more? I think that’s why Steichen went with Daniel Jones.”

Bowen has covered the Colts for 15 years and is a radio host for 107.5 The Fan, hosting “The Fan Morning Show.” He expects to see a little different kind of offense from the Colts with Jones under center.

“Think of a point guard trying to get others involved,” Bowen said. “Obviously, you’ve improved your pass-catching group, Tyler Warren being a huge part of that… Certainly rely on Jonathan Taylor in that run game. You’re hoping for defensive improvement on the other side of the ball. you add up all of that, if you can stay away from turnovers, can you get to eight or nine wins? I think that is what Shane Steichen is thinking of. We’ve got a lot of talent around him, more supporting cast than Daniel Jones had with the Giants. Now the question is, how does all that work here over 17 games?”

Bowen didn’t hold back on how the Colts have handled the last two years since drafting Richardson fourth overall in 2023.

“Let’s just call it what it is. Two and a half years into it, the Anthony Richardson experiment has been an organizational failure,” Bowen said. “This dates back to the evaluation process at Florida. You misevaluated him coming out of the draft, and then the developmental process, which Shane Steichen is a huge part of, from coaching staff on down, including Richardson, has also been a failure.

“No quarterback going into year three in the NFL, drafted in the top five, is supposed to be on the sidelines with an earpiece in, holding a Microsoft Surface on game days… So big picture, it’s a failure and Steichen is a huge, huge part of it.”

While Steichen believes Jones gives the Colts the best opportunity to win now, Bowen argues Jones isn’t the answer for success in the long-term.

“In the AFC, you’ve got to have a guy at that position, not just a Band-Aid. You need to have a legit franchise quarterback,” Bowen said. “The AFC is littered with them right now, and they’re all pretty young, too. And I think that is the frustrating part.”

Bowen, like many in the Colts fanbase, think the better option for the organization was to let the Richardson experiment continue to play itself out.

“Maybe you get an answer on him if you play him this season. Now, it’s quarterback purgatory again for this franchise.”

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