Jonathan Taylor is, without a doubt, one of the faces of the Indianapolis Colts. He is the true driver of the offense, and he allows everything else to flow. That obviously includes the quarterback play. One reason Daniel Jones was so good for much of the first part of the 2025 season was because of the running back.
But Taylor also felt comfortable knowing who was leading his offense from the first day he lined up behind Jones in practice. The quarterback had good athleticism and a solid arm, and Taylor knew that. What he wasn't ready for was how smart and prepared Jones would be.
While speaking with FanSided recently, as part of a Sleep Number promotion campaign, the running back relayed a story about his first practice with the team's new quarterback. To the general public, a real QB1 battle was unfolding in minicamp and training camp, but to the players, the real story might have been clear.
Jonathan Taylor was immediately impressed with Daniel Jones in Indianapolis Colts practice
Taylor knew why. Unlike any other QB on the roster, or maybe one he had recently played with, Daniel Jones didn't need to learn the playbook after arriving at camp. He already knew it. Impressively so.
"For us (players), we knew we had something special," Taylor said, "and I knew from Day 1 when Daniel came into camp, there was a check that he called that unless you had that playbook for years, or you got (the playbook) early, like a month in advance and went and started studying, you wouldn't have called that check. So that shows the discipline and the competitiveness that he had to make sure that he was ready to go. And once I saw that, I knew that Daniel was going to do whatever it took to be at his best each and every single day."
Daniel Jones changed a lot of minds this season. After being released by the New York Giants in 2024 and spending a couple of months with the Minnesota Vikings without playing, the quarterback wasn't highly sought after by many teams. He signed with the Colts for $14 million last offseason, an extremely cheap contract for a potential starting NFL quarterback.
He had a career-high quarterback rating with 100.2, and completed a career-best 68.0 percent of his passes. His touchdown passes (19) and passing yards (3,101) were the second-best of his time in the league. Each of those might have become his all-time best had he not been injured in Week 14.
But part of the story of Daniel Jones includes injuries, unfortunately. He has had three of his seven seasons cut short because of various injuries. To truly be one of the better QBs in the NFL, he has to stay healthier. Maybe that happens in 2026.
The Indianapolis Colts have to re-sign Jones, however. He is a free agent this offseason, and his asking price based on his 2025 performance is expected to be much higher than his 2025 salary. He may need to show he will be ready close to the start of next season after tearing his Achilles tendon against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If he can do that, he will get paid a large amount of money.
The hope is that cash comes from Indy. Fans want that to happen, and, clearly, so does Jonathan Taylor. Re-signing Daniel Jones is a win all around.