Former Pro Bowl linebacker Bart Scott has expressed his belief that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones could revive his career with his new team. Scott said Jones’ 2025 season could emulate what Sam Darnold achieved with the Minnesota Vikings last season.
Once a highly regarded quarterback, Jones’ stock has plummeted in recent years, but the 28-year-old has plenty of time to turn things around.
Daniel Jones Could Be 2025’s Sam Darnold, Says Former Pro Bowler
During a recent episode of “Get Up” on ESPN, host Matt Barrie was joined by Scott, Dan Graziano, and Mike Tannenbaum to discuss quarterback storylines. Among them was Anthony Richardson’s future in Indianapolis. Richardson has flashed unstoppable playmaking ability with his legs, but injuries, poor play, and attitude concerns have threatened his long-term future.
The 2025 season is widely believed to be Richardson’s last chance to prove himself on the Colts. To do so, he’ll have to beat out Jones, who is looking to prove his doubters wrong. Scott has backed the former New York Giants quarterback to do exactly that and revive his career in the process.
“Daniel Jones is a candidate to really be this year’s Sam Darnold. He’s never been in an environment like this, where he had a functional offense. Talent around him, you can talk about Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce. I think this could be the re-birth of Daniel Jones and we could see the player that we expected him to be, coming out of Duke.”
Jones is becoming the favorite to start the season under center for the Colts after it emerged that Richardson is dealing with a shoulder injury. The young quarterback’s injury problems have stunted his start in the NFL and could spell the end of his Colts career if Jones takes off.
Can Jones Take Off In Indianapolis?
While Jones has every chance to perform better for the Colts than he did for the Giants in 2024, it would likely look very different from Darnold’s resurgence in Minnesota. Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2024, numbers Jones has never come close to.
In fairness, Darnold hadn’t reached that level before last season, but the differences in playing styles are evident in the stats. Before moving to Minnesota, Darnold averaged a touchdown on 3.5% of his career passes, which would have ranked just 32nd in 2024. Over those six years, he had a career interception percentage of 3.1% and a completion percentage of 59.7%.
Jones, who has played six years, has a career interception percentage of 2.1% and a completion percentage of 64.1%. However, he has been less of a difference-maker since his rookie year. After averaging a touchdown on 5.2% of his throws in 2018, he has averaged one on 2.6% of his throws since.
Jones can absolutely turn things around in 2025, but it will likely be a less explosive, more measured approach than Darnold’s last year. The Colts have some exciting playmakers for Jones to work with, and it could work brilliantly if it all comes together.