Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has received a lot of praise for his draft choices since he came to the team in 2017. Where it has always failed, though, is in choosing a franchise quarterback. The team has mostly had a rotating circus at QB1, but Indy is hoping Daniel Jones can change that.
Jones was a castoff from the New York Giants in 2024, and after not being re-signed by the team that picked him up for a few months, the Minnesota Vikings, the Colts took a chance on him for $15 million in 2025. In the first half of the season, he was great, but he struggled before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 14.
He simply hasn't been in Indianapolis long enough, or stayed healthy enough, to completely reset the culture, though. That is proven by some recent comments by linebacker Zaire Franklin, who was traded this offseason to the Green Bay Packers.
Fomrer Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin raves about Jordan Love (but not Daniel Jones)
While speaking with NFL insider Ian Rapoport and being asked about the chances of success for Green Bay next season, Franklin raved about Packers quarterback Jordan Love. What he didn't say about Daniel Jones spoke volumes, however.
"Success" starts with the quarterback," Franklin said. "(Packers QB) Jordan Love, I told him he's the main reason I came to Green Bay. I wasn't coming to Green Bay. I wasn't going to an organization without a proven franchise QB, and he is that. He's the type of quarterback you want to be around, great man in the locker room, competes his (expletive) off...He's constantly working to get better. It's been a long time since I've seen a QB1 just really raise the level of everybody by his work ethic."
To be sure, no other person connected to Indianapolis has outwardly said Jones didn't work hard, and that might not completely be what Franklin meant. Still, it was a straightforward way of praising Love, and implies that even if Jones tried to get better each day, he might not have gotten all of his teammates to do the same.
Maybe Jones simply hasn't had enough time with the team. He outperformed Anthony Richardson in training camp, and he then re-signed this offseason. The odd part is that his contract was only for two years, though as much as $88 million.
One might have assumed, especially as Jones could miss the first few weeks of next season recovering from the torn Achilles tendon, that he would have been signed for longer. Then the organization would have surely proved they see Jones as the long-term quarterback.
Zaire Franklin won't have that issue with the Green Bay Packers. He knows Jordan Love is the long-term QB1. The former Indianapolis Colts team leader is already impressed with his new teammate.
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