By Johnathon Shaffer / Sports Editor and Samantha Neidlinger / Staff Writer
The Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers have both had their seasons ended, with varying success.
The Indianapolis Colts have named Daniel Jones the starting quarterback for the 2025 NFL season. Head coach Shane Steichen said, “Daniel is our starting quarterback for the season. I don’t want to have a short leash on that.”
He also spoke on what the competition did for them as quarterbacks.
“I thought the competition was great for both those guys. You heard me talk about consistency – That’s what I was looking for. I think Daniel did a great job doing that. I think AR made strides in that area. He knows he needs to develop in those areas.”
However, the front office has also emphasized that they are not giving up on Richardson.
Assistant general manager Ed Dodds said, “No, (this year is not make or break it for Richardson), because he’s young, and talented, and we knew that this would be a long term project.”
Many other team personnel and players have sung his praises, including starting left guard Quenton Nelson.
“He has been working his tail off. I think Anthony is having his best camp ever,” Nelson said.
Before this announcement, people did not feel good about the QB situation regardless.
“I feel like it’s a good thing that we have, you know, a QB competition, but they’re both bad, to be honest. Like, I don’t think either one’s gonna end up working out, but I think it’s good that AR has had some sort of competition,” senior Owen Crook said.
Fans feel disillusioned with the current team, staff, and front office, and the organization as a whole. They think new ownership will be crucial to the future of the organization.
“I think our ceiling would be like, maybe we somehow win the division, but I kind of doubt it. You know, how we did what we did in free agency, I feel like we’re gonna be a lot better defensively, but there’s still a lot of questions on offense,” Crook said. “I’m excited to see what Tyler Warren does, but do we have someone to throw to him? Is Pittman still going to be around? Is one of A.D. Mitchell or Pierce or Josh Downs become a wide receiver one? I think JT will be solid as always, but I’m more just curious to see how the new management reacts to us going 7-10.”
Senior Conner Flanagan feels less optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I have mixed feelings. I feel like offensive wise, if we can get going, then I think it’ll be a good season. But that depends on how Richardson does, how Jones does. If they do bad, we’re gonna do bad. If they do good, I could see us going good. I think in the best case scenario, if they’re doing good, we get like 10-7, 9-8. Worst case, it’s gonna be like 5-12,” Flanagan said.
However, the new additions to the team have excited fans for the prospect of this season and beyond.
“I was excited about Justin Walley until he tore his ACL. Obviously there’s the new big additions like Tyler Warren and Charvarius Ward, but I’m also excited about the edge rusher we drafted last season, Laitu Latu,” Crook said.
“I’m excited to see how Tyler Warren performs and I want to see Latu develop more. Really excited about those two, I would say. I mean, I’m definitely concerned, but I feel like we had some good additions to end the off season. And Ballard, like, hate him or love him, he is good at developing and getting deaf players. It’ll definitely be better than last year’s and probably the year before that. And overall, I’m excited to see how they’ll perform,” Flanagan said.
The Indiana Pacers went on a “Cinderella” run to the NBA Finals, winning series against the Milwaukee Bucks (4-1), Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1) and the New York Knicks (4-2). The Pacers also surmounted an improbable lead in one game of each series, capped off with a Tyrese Haliburton game winning or tying shot.
Crook recounts his experiences watching the playoff run in different environments.
“Yeah, I remember that game winner against NYC. I think it was like the first game or whatever where, you know, bounced up, bounced back in. I remember, like, I got off of work and I sped home because the game was on. I’d been, like, listening to the game or whatever at work, and I got home and watched the last like 30 minutes of that, and I was just like, by myself in my room, just losing it,” Crook said. “Then I also went with my buddy to that Game One watch party. It felt like I was in an actual, NBA playoffs game. I mean, people were just screaming and chanting and stuff. My buddy got tackled because that was the game, he also hit another game winner.”
Flannagan recalls what moments specifically impressed him in the playoff run.
“All of Haliburton’s last second shots. Yeah, they have to be. That’s the reason why we made it so far. Those “dark magic” moments. And especially like when (Nesmith) was locked in. Bang, bang, bang in. All in like the last two minutes,” Flanagan said.
This playoff run meant a lot to the fans, and the state as a whole.
“I mean, it was tragic the way it ended, but it was definitely cool to see. Especially because it’s kind of like a lifetime thing where, I mean, I guess we’ve had like a couple runs against like, LeBron and stuff in the playoffs, but I’ve never seen anybody go all the way from Indiana since I was like three years old or something. So that was cool to see. It just sucks the way it ended,” Crook said. “But I went to the state fair yesterday and there’s still just tons of people wearing, you know, like the Pacers playoff shirts or, you know, ‘We grow basketball’, like, all the merchandise and stuff that came out.”
In the NBA Finals, the Pacers matched up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was a well fought series, with blows landed on both sides, including another signature improbable comeback win, off of a Tyrese Haliburton game winner. The series was tied 3-3, going to a game 7. Haliburton hit three straight three-pointers, and the team, and fans felt good about their chances. Then, the unthinkable happened. Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon off of his driving foot, due to a calf injury sustained earlier in the series. It sucked the energy out of everyone involved, including fans watching.
“I don’t know, man. It’s. It’s not really a. There’s just a feeling when you watch the star players go down in a moment like that,” Crook said.
“At that moment, Personally, I thought we didn’t have a chance because that was our guy. That was him. He was the guy who’s carried us through all the games, and seeing him go down like that, I feel like it just ruined everybody’s hopes,” Flanagan said.
The team still kept it competitive, but ultimately the Pacers lost Game 7 with a final score of 103-91. Now the team looks ahead to the future, planning for the short and long term.
“I mean, we might get into the playoffs, but it’s just a rebuilding year. I mean, we got a new center, Jay Huff. But, I mean, it’s really just a rebuilding year, similar to the Celtics,” Crook said.
Originally published on August 26, 2025
