The Indianapolis Colts have hooked their carriage to quarterback Daniel Jones for the next two years, hoping the version they saw from him before his injury last season is the one they will see going forward.
Jones has indeed shown more in his short Colts' tenure than he did for the majority of his New York Giants tenure. He's not exactly Sam Darnold just yet, and perhaps he may never be, but there is at least a glimmer of redemption showing in Jones' career, and that's good news for the Colts.
Speaking of redemption, the Colts' Week 12 meeting with the Giants may not necessarily be a redemption game for Jones, but for him and the Colts, it is a game to at least asterisk on their calendar. That said, given the slate of must-watch NFL matchups next season, is this Colts vs. Giants game one? The Athletic (subscription required) seems to believe so.
The Athletic tabs Indianapolis Colts Week 12 game against the New York Giants a "must-watch" given the Daniel Jones factor
Not only do the Colts have their quarterback for the foreseeable future, but the Giants do too with Jaxon Dart. The talent in Dart is undeniable; we saw it last season, and John Harbaugh might be the perfect head coach to bring out every bit of it, turning him into a very good quarterback.
If you're a Colts fan, this matchup should be fun simply because the Giants should be fun to watch, and of course, seeing Jones go up against his former team.
That said, when next season is set to showcase games featuring the Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams (twice), the Seahawks Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots, Week 16's meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, or even the Chiefs' own Week 12 face-off with the Buffalo Bills, these are absolutely must-watch games.
There are others, but these are a handful of marquee, primetime, rivalry games that can't be missed. According to Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic, though, the Giants' traveling to Indianapolis is included.
“The NFL loves its theater, and a later date for this matchup is just what the popcorn-wielding masses ordered," Carroll wrote. “That’s because former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who had a resurgent 2025 season with the Colts, is coming off a ruptured Achilles. A little bit of padding increases the chances he’ll be back in the lineup to face off against the team that selected him with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft. There are some quality opponents on the Giants' schedule this season, but the storylines in this matchup add plenty of drama.”
Jones' storyline is indeed attractive, and both the Colts and Giants are hoping to be in the middle of playoff races once their tilt comes around, so, yes, there is some added intrigue. Whether it's worthy of invoking Terrell Owens and his famed popcorn bit, well, it might be a little too early for that.
By the time Week 12 rolls around, let's hope Jones is playing well and the Colts aren't below .500, trying to keep up with their division rivals. Suppose they're leading their division, and the Giants aren't doing so bad themselves; perhaps this game does have a lot on the line. Perhaps, a win for the Colts against Jones' former team would be a little bigger after all.
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