The Indianapolis Colts gave quarterback Daniel Jones a one-year, $14 million deal to compete for the starting job, and head coach Shane Steichen loves what he has been seeing from the 28-year-old signal-caller.
“Very pleased with what we got right now. He’s been doing a helluva job,” Steichen said on Thursday about Jones, according to CBS4 Indy. “Really smart football player. Learned the offense very quickly, making really good decisions out there through OTAs. Obviously, we want to carry that over to training camp, but he’s done a really good job. Great command in the huddle. Ultimate pro.’’
After a 2023 season that saw him suffer a neck injury and later a season-ending knee injury, Jones totaled 2,070 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 79.4 passer rating across 10 starts for the New York Giants in 2024, while completing 63.3% of his passes. Jones, who rushed for 265 yards and two touchdowns, ranked 33rd among quarterbacks with a 72.0 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
New York released Jones after 10 games, which saw them go 2-8, with him later signing with the Minnesota Vikings but never appearing in a game before signing up with Indianapolis this offseason.
Jones feels like he’s getting in a groove this spring with the Colts.
The quarterback said that he’s been “building up reps, the preparation we do in the meeting rooms, the installs, being detailed and specific about our reads. Where we need to be looking at where the receivers are going to be, how we’re seeing certain looks. So, I’ve really enjoyed that part of the learning process and feel like that’s helped on the field.
“But I’ll continue to learn and grow in my understanding of this offense, and how to execute it. I think it’s been a productive spring from that standpoint.’’
Prior to an injury-plagued 2023 season, Jones, the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, totaled 3,205 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 92.5 passer rating in 2022, while completing 67.2% of his passes. He also rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. In doing so, Jones helped the Giants earn an NFC wild-card seed and beat the Vikings in the wild-card round before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round. He then signed a four-year, $160 million deal with the Giants.
Jones appears to have the upper hand in the Colts’ quarterback competition, as Anthony Richardson — whom the team selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — recently suffered an aggravation to the AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Richardson was limited to four starts in his 2023 rookie campaign due to head and shoulder injuries and was benched during 2024.
While he has rushed for 635 yards and 10 touchdowns, Richardson has posted a combined 67.8 passer rating and completed 50.6% of his passes in 15 career starts.
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