The Indianapolis Colts entered Sunday with a chance to make the season interesting. The string of subpar opponents kicked off with the Dallas Cowboys. A win could have seen the Colts go on a little run. That didn’t happen, and for all intents and purposes, 2026 seems to be a wrap. Don’t tell that to Shane Steichen or others in the Colts organization, though, as the team is planning on keeping Daniel Jones on the roster. That may not be breaking news, but this isn’t either: that doesn’t mean he has
to start.
All of this begins with the premise that the Colts could actually trade Jones. They need a willing partner, and he hasn’t been impressing lately. In nine games, Jones has failed to pass for more than 200 yards in five of them. Throwing for 108 at Minnesota was a season low, and a paltry 180 against a less-than-stellar Dallas D is the latest example of the struggles. When you can’t pass, you don’t score. Six touchdowns thrown is a quarterback stat one doesn’t want to see nine weeks into a season. Throw ten interceptions on top of that and things go from bad to worse.
If this is the type of play the Colts are going to get, why play him at all? What Jones was paid is a sunk cost. It’s done. Let’s move on. Anthony Richardson is still a wild card. Is he the future? Most likely not, but that doesn’t mean he can’t show you how much he has grown. What’s the risk? He plays poorly? What’s the difference between that and Jones? Richardson would be playing with a depleted arsenal, but at least he would get another real shot. If the Colts move away from both players, at least they will 100% know that neither man is suited for the job. Regardless of Richardson’s abilities, Jones isn’t the answer.
“Experiment time” in Week 10 of the NFL season means things have gone off the rails. Daniel Jones hasn’t earned that big offseason payday. It was a misguided decision (one of many by Chris Ballard). The season is spiraling, so let’s have some fun as it goes down in flames. The Colts need to let loose and hand the keys to Anthony Richardson. Literally, does it get any worse?
