The NFL trade deadline is approaching, and the Indianapolis Colts are clear sellers.
One name that hasn’t come up much, at least in the context of being moved by Nov. 10, is quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones is on a two-year, $88 million contract. It can be tough to move that much money in the middle of the season.
He’s also clearly the guy Indy wants to keep starting at the moment. They seem to refuse to give a real look to Anthony Richardson, and QB3 Riley Leonard remains in that spot on the depth chart for now.
Still, the Colts’ long-term future seems less and less likely to include Jones, whether that’s a move very soon or one in the next year-plus by the end of this two-year contract.
And on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a thought on the NFL world. He wondered if the Colts could move Jones before the deadline.
Daniel Jones Trade Rumor
On his podcast that he posted on Wednesday morning, Schefter decided to bring up Jones.
He had already predicted that both Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs will indeed be traded before Tuesday’s deadline.
But then he had this to say:
“We’re talking about Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs. But what about Daniel Jones? What about Daniel Jones? I see you turn your head. Hold on (to host Ty Schmit). Could the Baltimore Ravens make a run at Daniel Jones? Could the Minnesota Vikings make a run at Daniel Jones? I know we’re focused in on Taylor and Downs, as we should be, and I’m not telling you they’re trading Daniel Jones. But sometimes it’s the curveball that you don’t see.”
It would certainly be a headline-grabbing move if Jones got traded. If the Colts could cash in now, they may have to consider it.
Daniel Jones Landing Spots
Schefter mentions the two most obvious landing spots for Jones: the Ravens and Vikings.
Baltimore in particular needs to find quarterback help somewhere with it looking like Lamar Jackson will miss a huge chunk of the rest of the season and potentially the whole rest of the season.
The Vikings would be looking for someone who could play better than Kyler Murray is, and Jones actually spent half a season in Minnesota in 2024 and would be somewhat familiar.
The Jones contract is the big problem, but if a team really wanted him, that’s something they could try to navigate.
Like Schefter says — maybe a curveball could be coming.
Colts Could Trade Daniel Jones to 2 Teams Before NFL Deadline