Daniel Jones gets more than his share of respect for what the Indianapolis Colts were able to do in the first part of last season. The team was 7-1, and the offense was operating at historic levels. By midway through the season, though, Jones was beginning to turn the ball over a lot, and that hasn't stopped in the first three games of this season.
Some fans might have attributed Jones' penchant for fumbling last season to his broken fibula. He continued to play with the injury, but certainly couldn't run as well. That made him stationary and more apt to get hit hard by defenders. His season ended soon after because of a torn Achilles tendon.
But after playing relatively cleanly through Week 8, Jones turned the ball over eight times in five games before being forced to miss the rest of the season. Through three games this year, he has turned the ball over five times (three interceptions and two fumbles).
Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones could be out of a job if he doesn't start playing better
And no one can pretend the quarterback's fumbling problems are due to being hurt or some new problem. As a rookie in 2019, he fumbled a league-leading 19 times. He lost 11 of those. He fumbled 10 times in his second season, too.
Ball control under pressure has been one of Jones' bigger problems. Opponents seem to know they can bat the ball out of the quarterback's hands when he is under duress. That's a technique issue, and one that Jones hasn't fixed after seven-plus seasons in the NFL.
But Daniel Jones is also putting the ball in harm's way more often this year. He has an interception in every game. His interception percentage is 3.1, the second-highest of his career. Could he go on a streak where he doesn't throw a pick? Sure, because he's never been one to throw a lot of interceptions since his third year in the league.
But Daniel Jones has to play better. His quarterback rating this season is 80.8, which is far closer to the mean of his career than last season. Maybe his 100.2 rating in 2025 was a lie, and the best he can do. The Indianapolis Colts are paying him to be 2025 Jones, however.
This past offseason, Jones signed a two-year deal worth as much as $88 million, but the team has an out after this season. His cap hit jumps from $19.18 million this season to $46.8 million in 2027. If the team releases him before next year, Indy would save $38 million.
A lot of this season remains, of course, and Jones could start to play better beginning in Week 4. Indianapolis plays a Washington Commanders team that is terrible against the pass. Jones could throw for four touchdowns and no interceptions and look fantastic.
The two games after the Commanders' one look winnable as well. The Colts play the Pittsburgh Steelers and then the Tennessee Titans. Jones could improve his numbers over the next three games.
He needs to, though. The team is paying him too much money to play as poorly as he has in the first three games. Indianapolis is, in fact, paying Jones like the version from the first half of 2025, unlike how he has performed for most of the rest of his career. If Jones continues to slide, the Colts might need to look for a new QB1 for next season.
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