It’s now clear that former Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Daniel Jones signed a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency largely because Jones believes he can win the Indianapolis starting job from 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson this coming summer.
During a recent chat with Mike Sando of The Athletic, one unnamed offensive coach from another team suggested Jones could revive his career working under Colts head coach Shane Steichen.
“This is a perfect match,” the offensive coach said about Jones joining the Colts. “They do not have to change game plans for him because that guy (Jones) can do some of what Richardson can do running around. That is how Jones had his best year in New York anyway.”
The coach was referencing how Jones guided the 2022 New York Giants to a playoff berth and a road postseason win over the Vikings. Per the StatMuse, Jones finished that season ranked fifth in the NFL among quarterbacks with 708 rushing yards. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2022 campaign ranked sixth with a 62.9 adjusted QBR.
Meanwhile, the numbers show that the Colts called more designed QB runs for Richardson this past campaign following a two-game benching that occurred after he took himself out of a contest because he was “tired.” Both Richardson and Jones have worrisome injury histories, so it’s possible the winner of the open competition won’t start the bulk of Indianapolis’ games next season.
“This will be the freest Daniel Jones that we have ever seen,” the offensive coach added. “Expectations are off. The media market is totally different.”
Angry Giants fans routinely jeered Jones this past season. Additionally, he had to deal with the fact that a television program made it known the team’s general manager (Joe Schoen) and head coach (Brian Daboll) wanted to make a blockbuster trade so Big Blue could acquire a top quarterback prospect during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Richardson and not Jones is the bigger disappointment among Indianapolis fans. The actual competition hasn’t yet begun, but it sounds like some within the league view Jones as the favorite to enter September as the Colts’ QB1.
