After the NFL Scouting Combine, it was reported that the Indianapolis Colts had four free-agent quarterbacks “on their radar,” including Daniel Jones, formerly of the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Now, for the second time this week, another report has come out linking Jones to the Colts from multiple sources.
On Monday, Rich Eisen of “The Rich Eisen Show” ran down “the five juiciest rumors” he heard in Indianapolis at the Combine. Among them, Eisen “heard from a handful of people that the Colts’ idea of competition for Anthony Richardson is Daniel Jones.”
“What are we doing is maybe running (Jones) and throwing him and giving him an offense and an offensive line that he didn’t have in New Jersey,” Eisen responded when another member of the show scoffed at the idea. “And dude, you could do a heck of a lot worse than with that wide receiving corps and that running game.”
“Daniel Jones in Indianapolis intrigues me, to say the least. That’s not a bad idea,” Eisen then stated before being asked why. “Because (Jones) is still young, and he can run it, and he can throw it, and maybe he can light a fire with Anthony Richardson,” Eisen continued. “That’s the competition I think the Colts are envisioning right now. Okay? Or at least I heard.”
Eisen’s “juicy rumor” about Jones and the Colts coming from “a handful of people” comes on the heels of ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler also saying, “I’ve heard Jones’ name more than once in regards to the Colts.” Along with Jones, Fowler also mentioned Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Jacoby Brissett.
Jones had a breakout season of sorts in 2022 with the Giants, leading to him signing a four-year, $160 million extension the following year. However, injuries, inconsistent play from Jones, and instability in the offense since then led to him requesting a release from the Giants during the 2024 season.
Jones then landed with the Vikings, where he could learn from head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff, who was resurrecting the career of retread quarterback Sam Darnold at the time. Darnold’s success had led many to believe that, if there is a “next Sam Darnold” among this year’s veteran quarterbacks, it might be Jones.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard continued to acknowledge the team’s need for competition at the quarterback position last week at the Combine.
“It’s gotta be the right guy to create real competition, but we wanna create real competition,” Ballard said. “I think it’s good for the team. I think it’s good for Anthony… It’ll be open. And, of course, it’s gotta be somebody that can really challenge from a production standpoint, too.”
While Richardson has had some brilliant moments on the field, he missed 13 games due to injuries as a rookie in 2023 and four in 2024. He was also benched for two games last season for lackluster play and preparation and completed a league-worst 47.7% of his passes.
Wherever the Jones-to-Indy chatter is coming from, there appears to at least be some smoke there. The NFL “legal tampering” period of free agency begins on Monday, March 10 with players able to officially sign with new teams on Wednesday, March 12.