With Daniel Jones at the helm, the Indianapolis Colts have rocketed to a 3-0 start and are sitting strong atop the AFC South. And a month ago, that would have been shocking; after all, not many people applauded Shane Steichen's decision to name Jones QB1 over Anthony Richardson.
Jones had one great season with the New York Giants, but after that, the only quarterback worse than him was... well, Anthony Richardson. Fans and analysts alike looked at Jones' career and thought for sure he would be a bust in Indianapolis. At best, he would be mediocre and capable, but not someone able to pull off explosive plays and elevate an offense.
Well, to put it mildly, it seems that everyone was wrong. Danny Dimes has played incredibly well with the Colts, indicating that the problem all along was the Giants, not Jones. And given the gamble he took to come to Indy - and make it as a starting quarterback - he wasn't about the let the opportunity slip away.
The reason for the Indianapolis Colts' Daniel Jones' success is simple
Shane Steichen, Jonathan Taylor, and Michael Pittman, Jr. all spoke to The Athletic about why Jones has been so successful, and all of them agree about one thing with Jones: his work ethic. He's routinely late to the team's Thursday dinners together, for example, because he wants to keep studying.
“Every single time he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m on the way. I just had to break down these last couple plays,’” Pittman said. “And I’m like, ‘Bro, take a break!’ But that’s just who he is.”
Steichen has noticed Jones' commitment, too, and said it's the reason his career has taken off.
“(He) looks at tape all day every day, grinding, looking at different things, knowing the checks, understanding what we’re trying to get done offensively, getting us in and out of the right plays,” Steichen said. “That stuff pays huge dividends in this league because there’s a lot going on. Obviously, this is one of the toughest positions in all of sports to play, and he’s doing it right now as good as it gets.”
Even bright and early in the morning, Taylor said Jones is putting the work in.
“He’ll hit you with, ‘Hey, man, when we get this play, this is what I’m thinking.’ But I just walked in the building, and I’m grabbing breakfast,” Taylor said. “I didn’t even open my iPad yet, but that just goes to show you his level of commitment to being excellent.”
It's an interesting observation, as it has been rumored that work ethic is something Richardson struggled with; while he is undeniably more talented and athletic than Jones is, it has been whispered that he hadn't been putting in the extra work to study film and learn the plays.
That seemingly changed once his job was on the line, as Richardson - by all accounts - put in a lot of work to improve and keep his place as QB1. But by then, it might have been too little, too late.
The season is still young, and there's no telling if Jones will continue to thrive - he's set to have his first real test when the Colts face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. But for now, it appears the Colts may finally have found the franchise quarterback they were looking for.