Daniel Jones was one of the positive surprises of the 2025 NFL season. After winning the starting quarterback job for the Indianapolis Colts, the veteran QB was playing the best football of his career, leading a productive Indianapolis offense and helping the Colts win a lot of games.
Unfortunately, injuries ultimately derailed Jones’ year and the Colts’ season, but the quarterback did enough to secure his future as Indy’s QB. Despite rehabbing from a torn Achilles this offseason, Jones signed a two-year deal worth $88 million to remain in Indianapolis.
That means he will start for the Colts once healthy, and the way the quarterback is progressing this offseason, he could be ready in time for Week 1. While that would be good, it wouldn’t address fans’ biggest concern about Jones.
Daniel Jones must prove to Indianapolis Colts fans that 2025 wasn’t a fluke
His health is one thing, but the bigger fear for fans about Jones is that last season was a fluke, and that he’ll struggle in 2026.
NFL writer Kristopher Knox recently laid out this fear in a Bleacher Report piece, saying that Jones’ 2025 run proving to be a fluke would be the worst-case scenario for Indianapolis. The reason this is a rational fear that has to be acknowledged is that Jones has been through a similar cycle before.
In 2022, with the New York Giants, Jones had the best season of his career and led the Giants to the playoffs. He was rewarded with a four-year, $160 million contract, but things immediately started to unravel. The quarterback sustained some significant injuries and was never able to consistently play good football again in a Giants uniform.
Now, in Indianapolis, Jones has had a good stint, a significant injury, and got paid. The Colts are desperately hoping that he can stay healthy and put things all together, and that he arrives at a different fate than his time in New York.
If that’s the case, everything will be great in Indianapolis, and they will emerge as contenders. If Jones struggles, though, the Colts will be facing a nightmare.
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