Indianapolis Colts fans have watched quarterback Daniel Jones underperform from about halfway through last season and through most of six games this year. The only thing that stopped that run of poor play was tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 14 last season. Yet, head coach Shane Steichen doesn't want us to believe Jones has been bad.
After the Colts lost to the Tennessee Titans 26-20 in Week 6, a game in which Jones went 22 for 42 passing for 269 yards, a touchdown, but two interceptions. His passing rating was a dismal 60.5. He was also sacked six times, and a couple of those were because Jones held on to the ball too long. But don't expect Steichen to speak the truth about Jones' play to the media.
"I'm not going into (Jones' performance)," Steichen told the media after the loss to the Titans. "I love Daniel, but we've got to clean up the turnovers for sure...I think he knows he's got to play better. I've got to coach better. It's a lot of things; it's not on one guy...He's our starting quarterback...I think the preparation and how much he cares about the game goes a long way with me."
Shane Steichen is sticking with Daniel Jones as the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback
Honestly, Jones having great preparation is good because every player should have that, but he still needs to be able to transition the prep into on-field success, and that hasn't been happening since the first half of last year. Even before the Achilles tear, he had begun to diminish in form.
Just as telling is Steichen's apparent unwillingness to even think about changing quarterbacks. The Colts have many problems, but Jones is one of them. The team is expected to have a sense of urgency because not making the playoffs means Steichen and others could lose their jobs. If changing quarterbacks might help the team win, Steichen needs to be open to it.
In his last 11 games, dating back to Week 9 of last season, Jones has thrown 10 touchdown passes but 11 interceptions. He has also lost six fumbles. 17 turnovers in 11 games is awful, especially in the modern NFL.
The first interception in Week 6 wasn't all on Jones, but his pass to Josh Downs was high. The receiver jumped for the ball, had it hit off his hands, and into the hands of a Titans defender. The second pick was completely on Jones, who thought he saw a window open that wasn't there.
Ultimately, Daniel Jones is playing about as well as he did for much of his career before joining the Indianapolis Colts last season. His interception rate in 2026 is 2.8 percent, but his career number is 2.1. His quarterback rating is 71.1, but he's had three other seasons where his quarterback rating was between 70.5 and 80.4.
What we saw from Jones in 2025 was seemingly a lie, one that general manager Chris Ballard believed so much that he re-signed the quarterback for two seasons and for as much as $88 million.
That was a mistake, and one that partly cost Ballard his job. He was fired one day after the loss to the Titans. Jones likely shouldn't even be starting. What's clear is that Shane Steichen isn't making any changes.
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