Daniel Jones has given the Colts exactly the kind of problem Anthony Richardson can’t solve.
Through five games, Jones has not looked sharp, but his production is tracking much closer to his pre-2025 norm than to some new low. That matters in Indianapolis, because it makes a quarterback switch feel even less likely.
The Colts have too much money tied up in Jones, and with one year left on his contract after this season, they are not expected to move off him now. Richardson, meanwhile, remains a long-term question rather than a short-term fix.
The bigger issue is that Richardson has never been consistently good across his four seasons, and Indianapolis already signaled its level of commitment by not picking up his fifth-year option. That leaves him headed for free agency in the 2027 offseason. So even if Jones keeps stumbling, the path back to the lineup is not as simple as plugging in Richardson and hoping the offense changes its fortunes.
Jones’ numbers this season tell a familiar story. He is completing a career-low 61.4 percent of his passes, but that mark still sits close to his 2024 rate of 63.3 percent.
His touchdown percentage is 1.7, far below his 2025 figure of 4.9, but it is much more in line with the seasons he posted from 2020 through 2024. His quarterback rating of 73.6 would not even be a career worst; in 2023, he had a 70.5 rating in six games.
That’s why the Colts may be dealing less with a collapse than with the reality of who Jones usually is. The one season that likely changed the evaluation was 2025, when he posted a career-best 100.2 quarterback rating and a 68.0 completion percentage.
He also threw for 3.101 yards and 19 touchdown passes, both his second-best marks. But that season ended too soon, first with a broken fibula around Week 10 and then a torn Achilles tendon in Week 14.
Jones, like Richardson, has yet to prove he can get through a full season healthy and then do it again the next year.
Still, general manager Chris Ballard handed Jones a two-year deal this past offseason worth as much as $88 million. Indianapolis does have a possible escape hatch next offseason, when releasing Jones could save $38 million. That would create room for another veteran quarterback if the Colts decide to go that route.
For now, though, Richardson appears trapped behind Jones unless injury changes the equation. He is not auditioning for a new team this season, either, which means he may have to settle for a one-year deal in 2027 and try to position himself for a bigger payday in 2028.
And at the top of it all sits Shane Steichen and Ballard, both of whom need Jones to look a lot more like the 2025 version for the rest of 2026. If that doesn’t happen, the Colts could wind up missing the playoffs again, and Steichen and Ballard may be the ones paying for it with their jobs.
In Other News...
Colts Face A Week 6 Reality They Cannot Ignore Against Titans
The Colts head into Week 6 with a clear set of concerns against Tennessee, and the numbers behind the matchup paint a fairly simple picture of what needs to go right. Over the past two seasons, recent history suggests Indianapolis usually puts itself in position when it can keep the Titans from getting loose offensively, while also doing enough through the air to avoid a grind-it-out slog that favors the other sideline.
Indianapolis will also need to be sharp with the football in a division game that rarely gives away extra chances. The Colts have seen enough of these matchups to know that a clean afternoon on offense and a modest passing output can be the difference between control and catching up, which is why this one feels less like a toss-up than a test of whether they can meet the basic standards that have shown up again and again in the recent data. [Read more 🡒]
Colts QB Showed Progress But One Problem Still Stalled The Offense
A deeper passing approach gave the Colts a little more to work with in Week 5, and there were signs of progress from their quarterback after the previous week. The protection held up well enough, and the offense avoided the kinds of mistakes that can bury a game early, but the passing game never found much rhythm or the explosive plays needed to tilt the field.
Even with the cleaner pocket and a better overall showing, the Colts still came away with the same familiar issue: too many missed throws and not enough production through the air. The offense stalled late, especially in the fourth quarter, and the quarterback remained below average in the areas that matter most for keeping drives alive and turning possessions into points. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Found Two Bright Spots In A Loss Fans Hated
After a Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers that left plenty of Colts fans frustrated, Pro Football Focus still found a pair of bright spots worth noting. Left guard Quenton Nelson and return specialist Anthony Gould landed on PFFs NFL Team of the Week, a small silver lining on a day when the final result overshadowed much of the good.
Nelson graded out at 86.9, which was the best mark among left guards, a reminder that Indianapolis still had some high-level play in the trenches even in defeat. Gould gave the Colts a lift in the kicking game with two returns that averaged 40.5 yards, highlighted by a career-long 54-yard burst that offered one of the more explosive moments in an otherwise rough afternoon. [Read more 🡒]