The Indianapolis Colts quarterback battle was the talk of the town over the past seven months, as two former first-round picks, Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, battled throughout training camp, according to ESPN.
The Colts signed Daniel Jones to a $14 million contract with a $6 million signing bonus on March 13. Richardson’s injury and consistency concerns vaulted the Colts’ front office to sign a veteran quarterback like Jones, according to IndyStar.
Colts fans were perplexed at the signing, as Jones was vastly underwhelming while playing for the New York Giants. Jones tallied a career record of 25-44 over six seasons as the Giants’ starting quarterback, according to Pro Football Reference. Along with the poor record as a starting quarterback, Jones was benched at some point within the season during five of his six seasons in New York.
On Aug. 19, Jones was named the starting quarterback, according to the Colts. The team’s general manager Chris Ballard said that Jones was the ultimate professional day in and day and out.
“At the end of the day, Daniel won the job,” Ballard said at a press conference. “Does that mean we’re down on Anthony? No, but I don’t want to dismiss that Daniel’s had a good run here.”
In a poll conducted by The Athletic, fans of each NFL team were asked to state whether they were optimistic or pessimistic about their team regarding the 2025-26 NFL season. The Indianapolis Colts ranked dead last with a 7% optimistic and 93% pessimistic outlook for the upcoming season. One can imagine the uncertainty surrounding quarterback play is the main reason why fans feel pessimistic about the Colts.
Jones and the Colts headed into their season opener against the Miami Dolphins while being winless in week one since 2013. Many analysts and oddsmakers picked against the Colts due to the uncertainty of quarterback play for the Colts and their poor history with season openers.
Jones silenced the critics by completing 22 of his 29 passing attempts for 272 yards and three combined touchdowns in a 33-8 Colts win against Miami, according to the NFL. Jones’ completion percentage of 75.9 landed him third among NFL quarterbacks in week one, according to the NFL. Jones and the Colts offense did not turn the ball over throughout the entirety of the game, which has been an Achilles heel for the Colts over the past few seasons, largely due to poor quarterback play.
Jones’ performance not only quieted doubters, but also reignited belief in his potential as a franchise quarterback. If he keeps this up, the narrative around him will continue to shift.
The Colts face a tougher challenge this upcoming Sunday as they host the Denver Broncos, who defeated the Colts 31-13 in week 15 of the 2024 season. The Colts are looking for redemption this time around, but to do so, the Colts will need a strong showing from Jones and the rest of the Colts’ offense.
