Daniel Jones has a new home.
The former New York Giants quarterback was formally introduced as a member of the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday and acknowledged that he chose to join the Colts for a chance to “compete.”
Translation: He wants to start again, and in order to do so, he’ll have to beat Anthony Richardson — the Colts’ 2023 No. 4 pick — for the job. Jones did not explicitly say that’s his goal, but after Colts general manager Chris Ballard declared an “open” QB competition at the NFL Scouting Combine and Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indianapolis, it’s clear this will be a two-horse race.
“That’s been the communication,” Jones said. “An opportunity to come in and compete. I’m looking forward to that. I’ve had a lot of fun (watching) and a lot of respect for Anthony. Watching him, I think he’s certainly a talented young player, and I think the competition aspect of it brings out the best in everybody.
“I think we’re both interested in helping this team win games and whatever we can do to help that happen.”
But only one quarterback can play at a time. Asked directly what it will take to win the starting job, Jones, who had a lengthy meeting with Colts coach Shane Steichen on Thursday before speaking with the media, skirted the question.
“I just signed and, at this point, I gotta learn the system and catch up to where this team is,” Jones said. “Obviously, coach Steichen’s been here a while, the system’s been in place, a lot of these guys know it and have played in it, so I’ve gotta catch up and do my part to get there. That’s kind of where I’m focused right now.”
Richardson’s injuries, inaccuracy and immaturity opened the door for Jones to potentially supplant him as the team’s starter in Indianapolis. The 22-year-old has missed 17 games due to injury through his first two seasons. Richardson was also benched for two games last year due to what Steichen labeled as a lack of game preparation and finished the 2024 season with a 47.7 completion percentage, the lowest mark in the NFL. Richardson is 8-7 as a starter and has thrown 11 TDs against 13 picks.
While Richardson struggled in Indy, Jones noted there are “a number of reasons” he flamed out in New York, but he didn’t delve into any details. After being drafted sixth by the Giants in 2019, he went 24-44-1 across six years while throwing 70 TDs against 47 interceptions. Jones led New York to a 9-7-1 finish in 2022, clinching the team’s first playoff berth in five years and first playoff win in 11 years, but he went 3-13 over his last 16 starts.
Despite being released by the Giants in November and joining the Vikings for the rest of the 2024 season, Jones said he’s still confident in his ability to “play at a high level.” Asked what he took away from his experience in Minnesota — and specifically, Sam Darnold’s one-year resurgence that resulted in a new three-year, $100.5 million contract to take over as the Seahawks’ QB1 — Jones pointed out Darnold’s attention to detail.
“He did a really good job focusing on just kind of what was immediately right in front of him and what was most important that day,” Jones said. “I have a ton of respect for Sam, and I’m happy for him and his opportunity in Seattle.”
Ballard said at the combine that he spoke to Richardson about bringing in a “real” QB challenger and believes Richardson will benefit from having another starting-caliber passer on the roster. The GM also emphasized that success isn’t linear for any quarterback, whether it’s Richardson or someone else.
“I think it depends on who it is,” Ballard said on Indianapolis’ 107.5 The Fan. “There’s a lot of guys in this league that have had rebound careers, that have done great things.”
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(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)