The Indianapolis Colts risked losing Alec Pierce and chose to let Michael Pittman Jr. go to keep Daniel Jones in town. He was Chris Ballard's top priority, and it took two years and $88 million to convince him to put pen to paper.
This was an easy decision to make, at least on paper. However, as well as he had played when he was healthy, he also came with some baggage. The bad decisions, the turnovers, and the inconsistency loomed large.
Now, six weeks into the regular season, and after their worst loss yet, it has become painfully evident that the Colts can't trust their quarterback. He may have been the best option then, but they must have some serious regrets about that contract now.
The Indianapolis Colts need to find a Daniel Jones replacement
All Colts players not named DeForest Buckner and Seth McGowan did everything they could to lose to the Tennessee Titans. However, no one helped Robert Saleh's team more than the Colts' quarterback.
Jones made two head-scratching decisions that led to avoidable, terrible, and flat-out inexplicable interceptions, both deep into enemy territory. The second pick led to three points that ultimately became 17 unanswered.
Watching him roll out of the pocket, scramble, and dive shows that this isn't a health issue; that Achilles sure healed well. It's a matter of failing to read coverage, terrible timing in some of his throws, and overall preposterous decision-making.
Through six games, Jones is completing a horrid 59.6 percent of his passes. He has four touchdowns against six interceptions, and at least 25 percent of his 215 passing yards per game have come from trying to get back in the game. He's just not playing well.
The Colts don't have a deep threat without Alec Pierce, and the offensive line is also struggling to create lanes for the running game. But even with that, and despite some of Shane Steichen's questionable clock-management issues, Daniel Jones remains the offense's biggest problem.
In hindsight, it's hard to blame the Colts for what they did. Jones beat Anthony Richardson Sr. for the job (not that the bar was high) and looked solid in Steichen's system early on. There wasn't a strong quarterback market, and they needed continuity for a change.
But as we approach the midpoint of the regular season, it's impossible to feel comfortable or confident about the Colts' quarterback situation. Granted, turning back to Richardson probably won't help, but Jones is playing his way out of the field— whether it's this year or in the offseason.
There's just no way to justify paying him that much money and bringing him back with this level of play. And even though the Colts can still turn the season around, it'll take some truly Herculean efforts to flip the narrative around, especially if this regime doesn't make it through the season.
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