Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Indianapolis Colts couldn't get much going against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8. Liam Coen's team is trending in the opposite direction, and this team has historically struggled to get the job done in Duval.
The Colts looked like a defeated team as soon as they set foot on the gridiron, so this wasn't entirely on the quarterback. Unfortunately, though, Daniel Jones didn't do much to convince anyone that he can be a part of this team's path back up.
Chris Ballard gave Jones a two-year, $88 million deal in the offseason that's aging like milk left out of the fridge. The general manager is out, the head coach might be soon, and it's already obvious that the quarterback is also part of the problem.
The Indianapolis Colts must cut ties with Daniel Jones
Watching Anthony Richardson Sr. take the field late in the game should be taken with a grain of salt. Jones is Shane Steichen's guy, and it's also become painfully evident that he doesn't trust the former No. 4 pick. That was just a matter of circumstances.
That said, Jones is playing like someone who should be benched. His first interception of the day wasn't on him — Tyler Warren absolutely had to catch that pass — but it goes way beyond the raw numbers, which are far from encouraging anyway.
Jones completed 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, one score, and two interceptions. He took three sacks and had to run for his life multiple times, some due to the offensive line's struggles and others because of his inability to read coverage.
His decision-making has been atrocious this season, and he's not using his legs and big strides to make plays; he's just trying to avoid hits. Granted, the Colts' wide receiver corps hasn't been healthy this season, but Jones isn't even doing the simple things.
He's been in the league long enough for everyone to realize that this isn't a fluke. If anything, the first 10 games of last season look like a mirage. He has one 'good' season in his career in the first year of the Brian Daboll era, but this has been this guy the rest of the way.
Unless the Colts somehow get their hands on a first-round pick, which sounds almost impossible, there's not even an incentive to tank. That, plus his steep salary, are the only reasons this team should even consider getting him back on the field.
He's up to 1,398 passing yards with four touchdowns, seven interceptions, and four fumbles (three lost), completing just 59.6 percent of his passes and with at least one-third of his 199.7 passing yards per game coming when trailing. That's not good enough, and it won't get any better.
If anything, Jones should approach the rest of the season as an audition for his next gig. But given the way things have unfolded and the imminent changes about to take place in the organization, he shouldn't be in Indianapolis in 2027.
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