One day after being benched in an ugly loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, former New York Giants quarterback and 1st-round pick Daniel Jones learned he’ll get at least one more week as an NFL starter as the Indianapolis Colts prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
“Colts HC Shane Steichen said Daniel Jones will remain the team’s starting QB for Week 9 vs. the Dallas Cowboys,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account on Monday.
“Colts HC Shane Steichen: Daniel Jones still be starting QB,” Colts reporter Mike Chappel wrote on X. “Gives us best chance to win.”
Jones was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that dropped the Colts to 2-6.
“It goes back to the preparation and the command he has of the offense,” Steichen said on Monday. “You want to have accountability, but like I said, I feel in this situation that he gives us the best chance to win.”
Colts Seemed Ready to Make QB Switch After Loss
Steichen’s tone had softened considerably in the 24 hours since the loss to the Jaguars, when he refused to commit to Jones as the starter moving forward.
“Colts HC Shane Steichen said he’s evaluating everything, including whether Daniel Jones remains the starting QB,” The Athletic’s James Boyd wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “Anthony Richardson Sr. was subbed in during the fourth quarter.”
Jones was 19-of-28 passing for 144 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in the loss to the Jaguars before he was pulled for Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but lost his starting job after two seasons.
The Giants selected Jones with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and released him 10 games into the 2024 regular season.
The Colts traded two of their best players to contenders in the last week — All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks and All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers.
Daniel Jones: Lots of Money, Little Production
Jones’ benching on Sunday quickly turned into talk of the insane amount of money he’s made as a below-average quarterback throughout his career — including a 2-year, $88 million contract extension he signed with the Colts on March 11.
The latest contract came after Jones tore his Achilles tendon midway through the 2025 regular season.
The Giants signed Jones to a 4-year, $160 million contract extension in March 2023.
“Daniel Jones has made $166.9 MILLION in his NFL career,” Empire Sports Media’s Alex Wilson wrote on his official X account on Sunday. “He has 34 wins. That’s $4.9 MILLION PER WIN. Run it back: 89 career starts, 34-54-1 as a starter, 93 TD passes, so roughly $1.8M per touchdown. Year 1 of his new Colts deal pays him $50M… and Indy is 2-5 with him throwing 4 TD and 7 INT. The Giants handed him $160M off ONE playoff win. Minnesota had him on practice squad money. Then Indy ran it back for $88M while he was rehabbing an Achilles. Bro is the most efficient businessman in the NFL and one of the least efficient QBs in it.”
Colts Make Decision on Starting QB for Cowboys Game