For the first half of the 2025 NFL Season, the Indianapolis Colts were right at the top of the NFL hierarchy, and it seemed like the team had struck gold with Daniel Jones. However, things began to unravel, and the Colts went just 1-8 over their final nine games.
Jones tore his Achilles tendon late in the season, which all but officially shut the door on any chance Indy had to bounce back. Not only that, but the front office gave up two first-round picks for cornerback Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline.
There was a clear all-in push in 2025, but injuries piled up, and the season just blew up in their faces. While the Colts really don't have another option but to re-sign Jones, it's still a good move for the team. It feels like the Colts have been backed into a corner here, but that corner is certainly more appealing than the state of other teams across the league.
Indianapolis Colts were a juggernaut for much of 2025, and that could continue in 2026
There does seem to be a bit of frustration that has been boiling with General Manager Chris Ballard for some time now, but for years, Ballard continually made smart, proactive roster moves and was able to build the Colts into a decent spot. Now, yes, before you come at me,
Ballard's inability to get the quarterback position fixed was a massive stain on his tenure, and that inability honestly wasted away years.
But a switch began to flip in 2025, and we can't pretend like the Colts weren't a juggernaut for the first half of the regular season. Over the course of that 7-1 start, Jones was playing out of his mind and was producing at an incredible level:
173/243
71.2 percent completion
17 total touchdowns
2,062 yards
3 interceptions
109.5 passer rating
If Jones had kept this pace up for a full 17-game season, he would have been on pace for nearly 4,400 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. Simply put, Jones was playing at an MVP level, and it wasn't just a small sample size.
It's also just not that common to see a quarterback suffer a season-ending injury as Jones did. Sure, it happened, but it isn't something that would be all that likely to happen again. Jones and the Colts offense were building something very special in 2025.
The offensive line was paving wide-open holes for Jonathan Taylor, and the passing attack was deliberate and efficient. This was also only year one of Jones being under center. With a likely extension coming soon, the Colts have every reason to 'run it back' with the current setup.
There is a clear path for this team to get back to where they were through eight games in 2025, and while re-signing Jones is really the team's only option, it's a good one. Yes, the AFC South is quite good, but Indy very obviously had quite the high ceiling before Jones went down.
No quarterback is perfect, as Jones himself has struggled with fumbles and some overall jaw-dropping lapses in decision-making, but head coach Shane Steichen had him and the offense humming.
Even if Indy took a slight step back, this could still be a 10, 11-win team flirting with a division title.