The Indianapolis Colts gave Daniel Jones a new contract this offseason.
They could’ve just tagged him to keep him around for one year while they considered their quarterback future.
But nope, the Colts gave Jones a contract for two years and $88 million. It’s a huge payday for Jones based essentially on the first 10 games he played last year, when Indy’s offense was cooking and the Colts were 8-2.
That was before Jones got hurt. He tore his right Achilles tendon and missed the tail end of last season as the Colts lost seven games in a row to miss the playoffs entirely.
Indianapolis decided it would be wise to give Jones $88 million anyway, despite the bad injury and a much longer history that says he’s a mediocre NFL quarterback.
The receipts are starting to come in. It’s looking like a clear mistake.
Danny No Dimes
The last past Jones threw on Sunday was right on the money — if he was throwing it to Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
Sure, Jones wasn’t helped by kicker Spencer Shrader missing two field goals after starting the year 18-for-18. But Jones really didn’t do anything in this game.
The Colts’ only touchdown was a 38-yard run by Jonathan Taylor — not exactly execution in the red zone by Jones or anything like that.
He finished an abysmal 13-for-22 for 108 yards. Jones also took four sacks.
For weeks now, he hasn’t looked like a starting-caliber NFL quarterback. It’s not clear what would make that change, particularly if the Colts start trading away veteran contributors on expiring contracts.
The Colts haven’t had a great quarterback since Andrew Luck. And despite what Jones’ contract suggested, they still don’t have anything close to one.
Anthony Richardson Update
The Colts’ backup quarterback remains Anthony Richardson, but there’s a couple things working against him being a long-term contributor.
One is that Richardson is in the final year of his rookie contract, so he will be a free agent after this season.
Another is that Richardson was recently arrested for marijuana possession. He was charged with a misdemeanor.
The Colts didn’t change Richardson’s status on Sunday. He was still their backup QB.
But there just isn’t a lot pointing the Colts toward playing Richardson a ton down the stretch.
Indy is still going to have a bunch of money committed to Jones for next season. He’s someone they have to try to keep riding with.
Richardson hasn’t been the answer since being the 2023 No. 4 overall pick. Jones looked like the answer for a while but may not be, either.
The Colts are 2-5, and the arrow is pointing down.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Looms as $88 Million Mistake