The Jacksonville Jaguars are primed to win the AFC South this season, with only one team - the Houston Texans - really able to offer any kind of obstacle to the divisional crown. The Colts haven't won the AFC South since 2014, and the Titans not since 2021, and while the Texans are the reigning AFC South champions, there is good reason to expect Houston could have trouble this year.
But if the Texans do end up dominant again, the Colts would be the Jaguars' biggest roadblock to getting a wild card spot in the playoffs. Thankfully, Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen just made a mind-boggling decision that paves the way to Jacksonville winning.
Throughout the offseason, one of the biggest stories was who would end up the starting quarterback for the Colts: Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones. While Richardson has struggled to stay healthy and isn't always accurate, he and Jones have been largely equal through training camp and the preseason. Jones doesn't have the most illustrious NFL background, either, but he offers virtually none of the upside Richardson does. And that's exactly why most fans and analysts expected Richardson to be named QB1 - until Steichen shocked the NFL by picking Jones instead.
The Colts just paved the way for the Jaguars to win the AFC South
Let's be clear: going just by the stats, Daniel Jones isn't the worst quarterback in the league. (That's a low bar, but hey.) However, he has proved through both training camp and preseason that he cannot be relied upon to make explosive plays - and when he attempts them, it usually doesn't go well.
Richardson is also notable because, like Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, he's able to make explosive plays with his legs as often as he is with his arm. Jones can't do that, and when you put it all together, Danny Dimes might be the safer option, but it also means the Colts offense will be much less versatile and dangerous. Steichen basically just announced to the league that the best the Colts can hope for is to be mediocre - and that's music to Jaguars' fans ears.