As Indianapolis Colts fans know, quarterback Daniel Jones has only spent one season with the team so far. He was a relatively cheap free agency signing last offseason, and he then beat out Anthony Richardson for QB1 duties. In the first half of the season, Jones was mostly brilliant.
Now, in his second season, he could reach the top 10 of all-time passing leaders for the franchise. The quarterback had 3,101 yards in 2025 and obviously would have had more except for a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 14. That wasn't Jones' first injury of his career or even of last year, though.
A healthy Jones in head coach Shane Steichen's system could throw for 4,000 yards or more over the course of a full season. Assuming QB1 does that in 2026, he would jump from No. 17 on the current passing leaders list to No. 9, jumping over players like Philip Rivers (No. 10) and Jacoby Brissett (No. 9).
Daniel Jones could get closer to Indianapolis Colts immortality if he can simply stay healthy
That said, Jones has never had a season in which he threw for 4,000 yards. His best is 3,205 in 2022 with the New York Giants. The main reason that he hasn't thrown for more is that he keeps getting hurt. Including 2025, he has had three seasons cut short because of various injuries. That's nearly half of the quarterback's seven seasons total in the NFL.
If one counts the 2024 season when the QB wasn't hurt, but the Giants had simply given up on him and released him, then for more than half of his career, he hasn't been able to finish a season healthy and/or effective. The worry for the Indianapolis Colts is the former.
It is easy to forget that Daniel Jones was playing on a broken fibula on his left leg before tearing his Achilles tendon on his right. Should the quarterback have been playing on a broken leg bone, and did that help lead to his Achilles tear? Maybe or maybe not, but the bottom line is that he was already hurt before he was forced to miss games.
This has been a sad trend throughout his career, and one that should definitely be a concern moving forward with Jones. The team was wise to only re-sign him this offseason for two years. He was expensive, as he will earn as much as $88 million over the life of his new deal, but at least the team isn't tied to him for a long time should he continue to get hurt.
But let's assume that doesn't happen in 2026. If he returns by Week 1, which he aims to, then Daniel Jones could have a career season. If that happens, he will rank inside the Colts' top-10 passer list after just two seasons. He will never catch No. 1, though. Peyton Manning had 54,828 yards passing.
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