The Indianapolis Colts are inching closer to a make-or-break season for a lot of people involved in the organization. General manager Chris Ballard might be safe, but he took a gamble on Anthony Richardson in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, and that gamble has failed mightily.
Head coach Shane Steichen was supposed to take the players Ballard gave him and make them work. What he's done so far is make it work to mediocrity. Perhaps if his GM had done a better job with choosing quarterbacks, Steichen's job would be safer. It isn't.
But likely no person involved with the organization has more pressure on them than new QB1 Daniel Jones. He was gifted the starting quarterback position even though the team that chose him in the first round in 2019, the New York Giants, finally gave up on him in 2024 and released him.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones might be getting his last chance in the NFL
That is what happens when a quarterback is given every opportunity to start but churns out a 24-44-1 record with a career quarterback rating of 84.3. Jones hasn't been good, and he might just put the finishing touches on the ends of Ballard and Steichen's careers with the Colts.
If Daniel Jones fails early and often for Indianapolis in 2025, he will cause the rest of the pretty good roster to not get the wins they deserve, and he might just end his own career. Jones got more chances with the Giants than many other teams would have given him.
Oddly, he was a bit in the same situation that Anthony Richardson is, only the Colts aren't giving AR5 the chances that New York gave Jones. Instead, Indianapolis passed over Richardson for Jones. Somehow, the former Duke quarterback keeps falling up.
He won't if he doesn't do well in 2025, though. Jones might find his way to being a backup somewhere, or maybe the NFL just moves on.
Maybe everything changes for Danil Jones this season, however. He is working with the best offensive skill position group of his career. They could elevate a quarterback afraid of taking too many chances. Jones could easily have the best season of his career and lead Indy to the playoffs.
While that would be a good thing for the Indianapolis Colts, it would also cause them to ask an important question next offseason. Should they keep Jones, who is a free agent in 2026, and let Anthony Richardson walk? Let's hope that Indy has that good problem.