Quarterback is the most important position in sports, and when a contending team doesn’t have one it feels confident in, that can be a nightmare.
The Indianapolis Colts aren’t pushing for a playoff spot this season, so they’re not the team in need. Instead, they could be the team with a solution: Daniel Jones.
Jones has been far from great this season for Indianapolis, but he’s a proven player who has performed well when surrounded by good players in his past.
And with a huge contract attached to Jones, the Colts likely wouldn’t mind moving him to free up opportunity and salary next season.
The NFL’s dead cap trade rules mean the Colts wouldn’t save all the cap space, but any savings could be useful if Indy doesn’t plan to start Jones in 2027.
Anyway, that all goes into the rumors that the Colts could trade Jones to the Minnesota Vikings before Tuesday afternoon’s NFL trade deadline.
Despite that connection, the latest report suggests that may not happen.
Daniel Jones Trade Rumors Updated by ESPN
The latest update on Jones comes from ESPN’s Stephen Holder. Holder is the Colts’ beat writer, meaning he covers Indianapolis year-round for ESPN — and he’s well-respected and has plenty of intel on his side.
So when Holder talks, it’s worth listening to, and with about six hours until the trade deadline on Tuesday, Holder made a post on X that makes it seem like Jones will stay put.
Holder posted this on X:
“On the Colts + the trade deadline: At THIS moment, I believe it would take a significant shift for either Jonathan Taylor or Daniel Jones to end up being traded today. This is NOT a prediction. Things can change. But this is my understanding entering the final hours.”
As Holder notes, nothing is set in stone. Until the deadline passes, anything can happen.
But at least in his latest estimation, a Jones trade (and a Jonathan Taylor trade) feels unlikely.
Daniel Jones Future
Just because Jones stays put now doesn’t mean he’ll last in Indianapolis beyond this season.
The Colts can actually spread out their dead cap hit if they cut Jones in the offseason with a post-June 1 designation — not saving total money but making their 2027 cap space a little more manageable.
So don’t be surprised if the Colts keep Jones for now but eventually release him and look for a new quarterback option in 2027.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Trade Rumors Updated by ESPN