Daniel Jones hasn’t lived up to the billing of his sixth-overall pick draft pedigree. The quarterback spent five and a half seasons with the New York Giants but never looked like the star signal-caller the team hoped for.
Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason and is hoping for a fresh start with his third NFL team. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport recently went on “The Pat McAfee Show” and clarified why he feels Jones chose the Colts over sticking with the Minnesota Vikings.
Ian Rapoport Says the Colts Gave Daniel Jones a Better Chance to Start
New York selected Jones with the sixth pick in the 2019 NFL Draft expecting him to be the heir apparent to Eli Manning. He took over for Manning in Week 3, compiling a 3-9 record while throwing for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as a rookie.
Jones struggled the next two seasons. He was the clear starter with Manning’s retirement after 2019 but struggled to stay on the field playing 14 and 11 games in 2020 and 2021, respectively. He failed to eclipse 3,000 yards passing both seasons and threw for just 21 combined touchdowns.
2022 was his best season in New York leading the team to a Wild Card Berth, despite the team declining his fifth-year option. He threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions while adding 708 yards and seven rushing scores. The Giants made it to the Divisional Round before losing to the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles.
He signed a four-year, $160 million extension that offseason, but didn’t see the end of the contract in New York. His 2023 was cut short after tearing his ACL in Week 9, and Jones was released in late November 2024. He finished his time in New York with a 25-45-1 record (including playoffs) and was landed on the Minnesota practice squad for the stretch run.
Jones was elevated to the backup quarterback role for Minnesota’s Wild Card Round game last postseason but didn’t see any action as a Viking. He signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indianapolis in free agency, and Rapoport thinks he chose the Colts because they give him a better chance to start.
"The Vikings were in on Daniel Jones and they made him a similar offer to the Colts..
The Colts were a better spot for Daniel Jones because he has more of a chance to start" @RapSheet #PMSLive https://t.co/M3eHCYEE3J pic.twitter.com/z3c2ECpaAK
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2025
Pat McAfee asked Rapoport if the Vikings were in on re-signing Jones to which Rapoport said, “They were in on Daniel Jones until that morning. They made an offer…similar to what the Colts offered him. They were definitely in on it, but even if Daniel Jones had signed with the Vikings, I got the sense it was more, they were going to let them battle anyway.
“Let’s say they signed Daniel Jones to a $15 million contract, then JJ McCarthy is clearly the better quarterback in camp, the players know. The players in the locker room know who the starter is so if it was JJ then he was going to start. So, that’s what I think it would have been anyway, and that’s why I think Daniel Jones did a great job of being like, ‘The Colts is a better spot because I could start there, and then just roll forward.”
Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick last year and a preseason knee injury prematurely ended his rookie season. The Vikings believe McCarthy is their guy and Jones would know that from being in the building for the final stretch of the season.
He’s betting on himself by hoping he can beat out Anthony Richardson for the Indianapolis starting job. It’s a bold move by Jones and a tough break for Minnesota losing a veteran backup.