With the offseason officially in full swing, it is typical for fan bases to expect a ton of movement across the NFL. As teams try to improve their chances of becoming a competitive organization or embrace a rebuild wholeheartedly, the summer can be a very exciting time in the league.
However, the biggest question that every organization faces across the board is its quarterback situation. Outside a handful of surefire choices, teams remain in flux about their guy under center. This year, the Indianapolis Colts are one of the more intriguing teams in that regard. But one analyst believes their primary starter, Daniel Jones, isn’t the answer.
Daniel Jones Isn’t the Answer for the Indianapolis Colts
After spending six seasons with the New York Giants, Jones was cut after back-to-back underwhelming seasons midway through 2024. Joining the Minnesota Vikings, he remained the backup for the remainder of the year.
In the offseason, Indianapolis took a shot with him as a potential competitor with Anthony Richardson for the starting quarterback job. Not only did Jones walk away as the clear winner, but he also emerged as an elite threat as the signal caller.
In an era where guys like Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have served as major reclamation projects, it looked like the former Giants superstar was going to be the next name on the list.
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Through the first 10 games of the season, he threw for 2,659 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking fifth on PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric as the Colts jumped out to an 8-2 start. As a result, the franchise believed they’d found their guy and traded away two first-round picks to bring in Sauce Gardner.
Unfortunately, a fractured fibula limited Jones in his final two games before the situation worsened with an Achilles injury. The team went into free fall and ultimately ended up missing the playoffs entirely.
Now, there is a genuine conversation about who their next quarterback could be, and Colin Cowherd on FS1 is convinced that Jones isn’t the guy they should be investing in. “I think Riley Leonard, let him play for a year. I liked him more than most people coming out of Notre Dame.”
Claiming that head coach Shane Steichen could get the “most out of anybody,” he made it clear, “I don’t want to commit long term to Daniel Jones.” While the opinion might seem like a controversial one, it isn’t completely absurd at face value.
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In his seven-year career, he has suited up in more than 13 games just twice, with injuries derailing him virtually every season. That kind of history can take a toll on him, and it isn’t clear if he’ll return to the same standard that he had before the Achilles injury.
Moreover, aside from the 10-game sample size with the Colts, Jones is largely unproven and wasn’t setting the world on fire as an NFL quarterback. So taking the jump with him would be an unnecessary risk for an Indy franchise that could right the ship in due time.
