Stampede Blue
The Colts thought they had finally found an answer at QB. Daniel Jones was near the league leaders in most efficiency stats, he was leading the league in passing yards, and he had a strong 13 Passing TDs paired 4 Rushing TDs against 3 INTs and just 2 Fumbles. The Colts were 7-1, in the 1 seed of the AFC, and on top the NFL world. Life was good and it was all sunshine and rainbows.
6 Weeks later, and Daniel Jones regressed, most notably against the blitz. He fights through a fractured fibula, showing some grit and toughness despite the pain. The Colts drop 3 one score games and win another in Overtime in Germany. And then on a rainy early December Sunday in Duval, Jones goes down with a non-contact Achilles tear on his other leg. Suddenly fans are watching rookie 6th Round QB Riley Leonard play meaningful snaps. The Colts fall to 8-5 and are potentially outside of the AFC Playoff field (depending on the result of the Texans-Chiefs Game).
It’s fair to feel frustrated after the emotional whiplash of this past month and a half. Unfortunately Jones’ prior issues with health and consistency have reared their ugly head and now the Colts have a tough decision to make on the horizon. Daniel Jones is a Free Agent and his recovery puts his Week 1 availability for next season in jeopardy. There is no Round 1 Draft Capital to spend for a QB in 2026-2027 due to the Sauce Gardner trade. And even if the Colts had their Round 1 pick, this isn’t a draft class with a deep group of Round 1 passers worth spending a potential back half of Round 1 pick on. Anthony Richardson is in the last year of his rookie contract in 2026 and has appeared in just 15 games due to injuries, benching, and not beating out Daniel Jones in the 2025 QB competition. What are the Colts options at QB in 2026?
At the midway point of the 2025 season, Daniel Jones was looking at a multi-year deal most likely worth $40 million to $45 million per year for 3 to for years.
Now? If the Colts still believe in Jones and are willing to be patient with his recovery, his contract will likely be much cheaper and shorter now. He was signed by the Colts as a 1 year $14 million deal prior to last season and likely gets a similar deal for another 1-2 years if the Colts choose to keep him.
Unfortunately there is a question of whether or not the Colts can bank on Daniel Jones staying healthy. He has suffered 11 different injuries in his NFL career (as well as a fractured clavicle at Duke) and missed 21 games since 2021. Whether or not he gets his prior athleticism back after his Achilles tear is another question. And of course whether or not his start to 2025 was a mirage or...
