When a quarterback is chosen in the first round by a team in New York – and he fails to lead them to contender status – his reputation will suffer disproportionately. That was certainly the case with Sam Darnold, until it wasn’t anymore. Now he is a Super Bowl champion. It has also been the case with Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Daniel Jones. In 2026, he will try to recreate Darnold’s success.
If you look at the national media, his chances are just about zero. Jones is a popular choice in “worst free agent deal” articles this offseason. The latest example of disrespect came in the form of a Bleacher Report article by Kristopher Knox entitled “8 NFL Quarterbacks Who Could Be Benched in 2026.”
Obviously, no one wants to be on this particular list. But it’s equally obvious that some Day One starters will suffer the fate. Will it befall Jones? There is legitimate reason to doubt whether he will ever reach his first-round draft pedigree. But he is clearly an outlier amongst the other QBs Knox identifies. That is SOP for Jones at this point in his career.
2026 Indianapolis Colts will rise or fall with Daniel Jones
So, benched in 2026? That ain’t gonna happen. Here’s why.
First, let’s look at the other seven QBs on Knox’s list. Five of them are starting with a new team this season. And four of those players are not arriving on a wave of recent success.
Tua Tagovailoa had a losing record last year in Miami. He also had the lowest success rate on throws and the lowest QBR of his entire career. He threw the most interceptions of his career. He arrives in Atlanta with plenty of questions.
Kyler Murray played five games for Arizona last season. He has posted just one winning record as a starter in seven NFL seasons. Geno Smith is 35 years old and went 2-13 as a starter for Las Vegas last year. He led the league in sacks and interceptions.
And Kirk Cousins is 37. He has played in fewer than 60% of his team’s games over the last three seasons. He may be the nominal starter in Las Vegas for now, but everyone knows top draft pick Fernando Mendoza will have that job sooner rather than later.
The other newcomer is Malik Willis in Miami. He has six career starts on his resume.
So, sure, it’s not hard to see how any of them could be benched. With Cousins, it’s a guarantee. Murray is the least likely, but there are major questions about all of them.
And there are even bigger questions about two of the remaining QBs who are returning to the same team for 2026. Jacoby Brissett is a career backup who sports a 20-45 record as a starter. He has never had a winning season. And Deshaun Watson? Do I really need to go there? Let’s leave it at this. The 230-million-dollar man has made 19 starts over the last five seasons.
Now, let’s look at Daniel Jones.
He is returning to a team that he had in first place for much of the 2025 season, despite having a below-average defense. Even with some tough losses late, he finished with an 8-5 record before an Achilles injury ended his year. His completion rate was better than Dak Prescott's. His success rate was better than Josh Allen's. His QBR was better than Lamar Jackson's.
He developed a great rapport with head coach Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. Both are back this season. He developed a similar rapport with Alec Pierce. He has Tyler Warren and Josh Downs as complementary receiving options. He has Jonathan Taylor in the backfield.
And he has a very good offensive line in front of him. That is the biggest thing Daniel Jones haters refuse to acknowledge. When he was with the Giants, the offensive line was a train wreck. Jones was running for his life. No quarterback is going to thrive under those conditions. Jones clearly made mistakes and showed inconsistency while in New York. But he was not the main problem.
You want data? Entering last season, Daniel Jones had a career sack percentage of 8.5. That’s not good. In 2025, the league average was 6.87. An 8.5% would have placed in the bottom quarter. Playing behind a good line, Jones lowered that 8.5% to 5.4%. He went from the bottom quarter to the top half of the league primarily because he finally had a reliable offensive line.
So will he collapse this year? Sure, it’s possible. But not likely.
Will he be benched? That’s even less likely, even if he struggles. That’s because the Indianapolis Colts do not have any other options. Anthony Richardson will be traded or released before the season.
Steichen made his feelings very clear regarding Riley Leonard when he chose 44-year-old Philip Rivers over the rookie late in the season. Easton Stick? He has thrown 175 passes in six NFL seasons, none since 2023.
The other QBs on Knox’s list – with the possible exception of Willis in Miami – have either serviceable veterans (Gardner Minshew) or intriguing young prospects (Michael Penix Jr. and JJ McCarthy aren’t exactly dead yet) waiting in the wings.
The Colts have no one, which is a blemish on general manager Chris Ballard’s record. He wasted too many seasons on QBs who were not long-term answers, and his squad has suffered in mediocrity as a result.
The Colts really have no choice this year. Daniel Jones is their quarterback. The player and the team will rise and fall as one. He is not going to the bench.
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