Before joining the Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jones hardly had a career to boast of. He had one breakout season with the New York Giants in 2022, but struggled to have much success after that. He ended up landing in Minnesota with the Vikings, where he was relegated to QB2, but was paid well - and took a pay cut to come to Indianapolis.
Jones gambled that he would be more successful with the Colts than he was with the Vikings, and that he would ultimately be able to gain a starting role, resurrecting his career and proving he has what it takes to lead a team. So far, that's exactly what happened, proving that his gamble was worth the risk.
Under head coach Shane Steichen, Jones has flourished so far. His performance has shocked the entire league, as he had previously been seen as nothing more than mediocre, with little upside or potential.
Saquon Barkley is cheering on Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones
Jones was seen as an adequate quarterback at best, but not someone who could elevate an offense. But it turns out, Jones may not have been the problem to begin with. And one former teammate could speak to that better than anyone.
Barkley and Jones played together with the New York Giants for five years, even making it to the playoffs together. But both were discarded, and went on to have massive success with other teams; Jones is experiencing a rebirth with the Colts, while Barkley notoriously had a breakout season in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles, culminating in a Super Bowl win.
And heading into Week 3, he said that Jones is the number one player he's rooting for.
"I’m excited. Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles and myself, I want no one else to perform at a high level besides Daniel Jones. We both know it’s the beginning of the season and it’s only Week 2, so he’s got to keep it going. But following him throughout camp and his battle with (Anthony Richardson), I was super excited when he won the starting job.Saquon Barkley
And now he has gone out there and played at a high level and had a chance to show people the player that I know and the person that I know. I’m a big believer that ... in the way he carries himself and the way he works and the way that he competes, it’s going to show at some point and I’m happy it’s starting to show right now."
He even shaded his own quarterback a bit, asking, "Is there a quarterback playing better than him right now?” (Fair warning, Jalen Hurts.)
Like Jones, Barkley started off well with the Giants, but his last two years turned rocky, before he was let go when the Giants couldn't come to terms with him, and he landed in Philadelphia. The rest, of course, is history. But it's clear that Barkley still has negative feelings towards his former team, and he's not even necessarily wrong.
The Giants evidently were the problem for Jones, who is thriving now with the Colts, something not many would have predicted - except, perhaps, Saquon Barkley.