Life is shifting in fast-forward for rookie quarterback Riley Leonard since he grabbed his helmet and ran onto the sector to switch injured Indianapolis Colts starter Daniel Jones in Jacksonville final Sunday.
Leonard, a sixth-round choose, had thrown solely two passes — a pair of fourth-quarter incompletions towards the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 26 — earlier than Jones’ harm shoved him into the thick of a sport with first place within the AFC South on the road.
“It’s totally tough, however that is the character of the sport. Clearly, your first thought is to hope for Daniel and hope he is nice as a result of that is not the way you envision getting snaps, proper?” Leonard detailed after Sunday’s sport. “I at all times envision myself working and dealing and creating right into a starter, (a place) that I earned. Whether or not I earned it or not is type of irrelevant. Daniel went down; my flip was up. It is tremendous unlucky to see that, however hopefully every thing works out. We’ll be praying for him for certain.”
The Colts misplaced Jones, and 2023 first-round choose Anthony Richardson is on injured reserve, so when Indianapolis misplaced Sunday’s sport and Leonard left the stadium limping on his knee, head coach Shane Steichen gave 44-year-old Philip Rivers a hoop. Rivers was on the group facility by Monday evening and formally signed to the observe squad, finding out the decision sheet for Week 15. He was reviewing calls, performs and checks for the sport at Seattle with Leonard, who was born a couple of days after Rivers threw 5 landing passes on 10 completions towards Navy as a junior at North Carolina State.
Each quarterbacks practiced Wednesday and Thursday.
Final week, Leonard performed the ultimate three quarters and rushed for a 6-yard TD. His landing move to Michael Pittman Jr. was taken off the board on an offensive move interference name, however he accomplished 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards with an interception.
Leonard stays optimistic his first profession begin is coming this week. Steichen, although, didn’t rule out turning to Rivers as an alternative in his 245th profession sport however first since 2021.
“So far as I do know, I’ll go on the market and provides it my finest,” Leonard stated.
Steichen, a former assistant coach with the Chargers, crossed over with Rivers for eight seasons, and so they have been in common contact lengthy after he joined the Philadelphia Eagles and took over as a first-time head coach with the Colts previous to final season.
When Steichen advised of how the decision to Rivers happened, it was clear he is nonetheless a believer.
“He is one of the vital passionate gamers I’ve ever been round,” Steichen stated. “The obsession for the sport is off the charts.”
The Colts dropped to 8-5 final week and already misplaced to the Houston Texans (8-5) in the course of the present three-game shedding streak.
With 4 video games to play, Indianapolis already has entered “playoff mode” and the schedule is relentless beginning at Seattle on Sunday. The Colts are residence on “Monday Night time Soccer” towards the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) subsequent week and shut the common season at Houston on Jan. 4.
–Area Degree Media
