As soon as Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard announced that Anthony Richardson would have to compete for his job, rumors and speculation began flying about who could step in. Whether it's a free agent or in the draft, it's assumed that the Colts will be signing someone new to replace Joe Flacco, the current QB2, and luring them with the possibility of supplanting Richardson as starter.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones has been one of the most frequently mentioned names as being a good fit for the Colts, with Rich Eisen even calling it one of the league's juiciest rumors. Now, according to The Athletic's Diana Russini, the decision will ultimately come down to Jones himself, with the only contenders being the Colts and the Vikings.
The Vikings and Colts are expected to be the leading contenders to sign Daniel Jones, per source.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 9, 2025
The 27 year old will most likely have to make a decision: play for HC Kevin O’Connell or HC Shane Steichen pic.twitter.com/ce6au8seDk
Both Jones and the Vikings' other quarterback, Sam Darnold, are free agents, so part of the question is who the Vikings will choose to resign. Nevertheless, despite there being numerous teams seemingly interested in Jones, Russini's report indicates that it's only Indianapolis and Minnesota in the running.
Signing Jones would certainly make sense for the Colts. He's a bit older than Richardson, but not too old that he couldn't potentially have a long career if he ends up at QB1. He wouldn't cost a ton of money, and while the past two seasons have been underwhelming for him, he had a hugely successful season in 2022, indicating that he could have the talent and skill to compete for the starting position.
However, the question lies more with Jones than it does with the Colts. Would he be satisfied with knowing that he might end up remaining a backup quarterback and never a starter? If Richardson does show the necessary improvement in the offseason - and it's clear he's putting considerable effort forward to do so - then Jones would be relegated to QB2. Meanwhile, if Darnold does leave Minnesota, then that could put Jones in prime position to take over as the starting quarterback, and considering how successful Darnold and head coach Kevin O'Connell have been, that will surely be a tempting prospect.