Leonard took the field for the Colts' final two possessions of Sunday's 38-14 win over the Titans, throwing incompletions on two pass attempts and rushing once for one yard.
A healthy inactive for the Colts' first five contests, Leonard handled backup quarterback duties for the third game in a row after Anthony Richardson suffered a fractured orbital in a pregame workout prior to the team's Week 6 win over the Cardinals. Though Brett Rypien looms on the practice squad as a potential alternative for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, Leonard looks poised to stick around as Daniel Jones' top backup until Richardson is ready to return from injured reserve. The rookie out of Notre Dame got the chance to make his NFL debut in garbage time of Sunday's blowout win, going three-and-out on both of the drives he directed.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Remains No. 2 quarterback
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Head coach Shane Steichen said Friday that Leonard will remain the Colts' No. 2 quarterback "for now," James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
The 2025 sixth-round pick from Notre Dame served as Indianapolis' emergency third quarterback for the first five games of the season. However, with Anthony Richardson (orbital) being placed on injured reserve Oct. 13, Leonard stepped in as starter Daniel Jones' top backup in the Week 7 win over the Chargers, and the Colts appear content to stick with Leonard in the No. 2 role for at least another week. Brett Rypien looms on the practice squad as a more experienced option if the Colts elect to replace Leonard down the road.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Stepping in as No. 2 quarterback
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Leonard appears in line to serve as the top backup to starting quarterback Daniel Jones for a second straight game Sunday against the Chargers after the Colts placed Anthony Richardson (orbital) on injured reserve Monday, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
After being inactive for the first five games of the season, Leonard suited up as the Colts' No. 2 quarterback during this past Sunday's 31-27 win over the Cardinals due to Richardson sustaining an orbital fracture in a freak pregame accident. With Richardson's injury now set to keep him out for at least four more games, Leonard is the lone healthy option at quarterback on the 53-man roster beyond Jones, though Indianapolis signed veteran Brett Rypien to its practice squad Wednesday. Rypien brings more experience to the table and could eventually make a push for the No. 2 role if he's able to quickly familiarize himself with head coach Shane Steichen's playbook, but Leonard, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame, would offer far more fantasy upside if he's forced into action in the event of an injury to Jones. Leonard put his dual-threat abilities on full display during the preseason, carrying seven times for 58 yards while completing 34 of 56 pass attempts (60.7 percent) for 345 yards, one touchdown and one interception over three games.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Tabbed as emergency QB for Week 4
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Leonard (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Rams but will serve as the Colts' emergency third-string quarterback.
Leonard has been Indy's emergency third-string quarterback for every game so far this season. He will only be eligible to enter the game if both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson are forced out due to injury, illness or ejection.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Emergency QB3 vs. Denver
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Leonard (coach's decision) is inactive against the Broncos on Sunday but will serve as the Colts' emergency third-string quarterback.
As the emergency third-string quarterback, Leonard will see the field Sunday only if both Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson were to leave due to injury, illness or ejection.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Sharp in preseason finale
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Leonard completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions and rushed once for 14 yards in the Colts' 41-14 preseason win over the Bengals on Saturday afternoon.
The rookie sixth-round pick drew the start and took full advantage of his extended opportunity, leading an 11-play, 56-yard march that culminated in a field goal to open the contest and eventually spearheading touchdown drives of 83 yards (12 plays) and 77 yards (four plays). Leonard's one scoring toss was a noteworthy one, where he slung a 59-yard dart to Laquon Treadwell with time winding down in the first half. Leonard completed just 50.0 percent of his passes in his preseason debut against the Ravens back on Aug. 7, but he finished strong by going 22-for-32 for 253 yards and Saturday's scoring toss over the final two exhibitions. Leonard also made an impression on the ground by rushing for 58 yards on seven carries across all three preseason tilts, seemingly leaving him with a solid chance of securing the No. 3 job behind Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Improves in second preseason game
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Leonard was 7-for-12 for 64 yards without a touchdown or interception in Saturday's preseason loss to Green Bay. He also had two carries for 10 yards.
Leonard wasn't overly impressive but improved after throwing an ugly interception in his first preseason game. Leonard still appears ahead of Jason Bean for the No. 3 QB role, as Bean played after Leonard in the fourth quarter.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Mixed performance in pro debut
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Leonard completed 12 of 24 passes for 92 yards with an interception in Thursday's preseason loss at Baltimore. He also had four carries for 34 yards.
It was a mixed performance for Leonard as he played the full second half. He led the Colts on their only touchdown drive but also had an ugly interception. Leonard appears ahead of Jason Bean (who didn't play in the game) for the No. 3 QB role. Leonard did show off his rushing ability on several occasions, a trait that would enhance his fantasy value if he gets playing time.
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Colts' Riley Leonard: Indy picks up QB in sixth round
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The Colts selected Leonard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 189th overall.
Leonard started for two seasons at Duke in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to Notre Dame in 2024, where he posted a career-best 66.7 completion percentage on 269-for-403 passing, racking up 2,861 passing yards and a 21:8 TD:INT ratio. While Leonard doesn't have lightning speed, he's certainly mobile, racking up 900 rushing yards and a Fighting Irish single-season record for rushing scores in a season with 17. There are still some questions surrounding his ability to push the ball down the field consistently. However, he fits nicely into Shane Steichen's offense behind uber-athletic Anthony Richardson, who's had his problems staying healthy early in his career. Leonard likely fits in behind Daniel Jones, an offseason acquisition by the Colts, as the potential third-string quarterback.
