Daniel Jones’ first month with the Indianapolis Colts has already turned into a familiar conversation: the turnovers are piling up, the clean pockets are not staying clean long enough, and the quarterback’s big-money future is suddenly looking a lot shakier than it did when he signed his two-year deal worth as much as $88 million this offseason.
That tension was front and center again in Week 4, even in a game the Colts won. Against a Washington Commanders defense that wasn’t exactly intimidating, Jones had a chance to steady the story around him.
Instead, the offense kept tripping over its own mistakes, while Jonathan Taylor and the run game did most of the heavy lifting. Indianapolis also spent much of the afternoon facing a third-string quarterback, which only sharpened the sense that this was an opportunity Jones did not fully seize.
The most obvious issue remains the ball security. Jones opened the game with a turnover, and it was the same kind of problem that has followed him for a while now.
Under pressure, he lost control after left tackle Bernhard Raimann was driven back into him, and the ball was knocked free. Later, he forced a bad interception as the offense bogged down with self-inflicted mistakes.
Shane Steichen is likely to talk about Jones needing to “clean up” his game, but the larger question is whether the version of Jones who has now turned it over 15 times in his last nine games is the real one.
There was at least one encouraging note: Jones is healthy. Even with the rough stat line - 19 completions on 34 attempts for 143 yards and a quarterback rating of 53.9 - he still showed he can move.
He scored on a second-half run around the edge, outrunning the defense for a touchdown. That kind of play was off the table after last season’s broken fibula, before the Achilles tendon tear.
So the issue doesn’t look physical right now. It may be mechanical, and if that gets fixed, Jones could still get back to the level he showed in the first half of last year.
If that version returns, Indianapolis should make the playoffs.
The receiver situation is part of the picture, too. Jones was without Alec Pierce, and even if Keenan Allen had been available after missing the game with a groin injury, the offense still wouldn’t have had the same vertical punch.
Pierce stretches the field in a way no other receiver in the NFL does, and without him the Colts’ passing game stays cramped near the line of scrimmage. That also changes how defenses play Jones, because they know he is less likely to attack deep without Pierce drawing attention.
And that brings the whole thing back to the contract. Jones took a short-term bet on himself by returning to Indianapolis on a two-year deal, but the early returns are not matching the price tag.
The Colts have now gone through two straight weeks against defenses that were not at full strength - Houston’s offense was described as terrible and missing Nico Collins, and Washington was down to a third-string quarterback - and Jones’ mistakes didn’t cost them those games. They will eventually, though.
He is currently being paid an average of $44 million, and he is not playing like that kind of quarterback. If the Colts moved on after next season, they could save $38 million. Right now, Jones has to show a lot more before that conversation starts sounding theoretical instead of real.
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For the Colts, any extra spotlight in London only adds to the intrigue around Owens new home. He has been in the league long enough to know how quickly a fresh setting can change the conversation, and Biles presence has only amplified the attention around his latest chapter. The bigger picture now is how much more of that international stage the Colts and Owens can keep turning into their own. [Read more 🡒]