Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) stands on the sideline Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Colts QB Daniel Jones' Glaring Issue May Hold Back Offense

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Drake Wally | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts will enter their Week 1 matchup with the Miami Dolphins, hoping that their new starting quarterback Daniel Jones can elevate the offense of Shane Steichen beyond what it has been able to accomplish over the last two seasons.

While Jones doesn't possess an incredibly high ceiling of potential, he's efficient, safe with the football, and will work within the offensive game plan to get the team down the field effectively.

But, unlike Anthony Richardson Sr., Jones has one vibrant weakness: he doesn't push the ball down the field much, favoring shorter, easier throws to get in rhythm and move the offense down the field in smaller increments.

Pro Football Focus' John Kosko highlights the top weakness of every starting QB in the NFL, and for Jones, it's all about his arm strength and willingness to take the deep shots. Here's what Kosko had to say regarding the arm of the six-year vet.

"While this is also Goff’s weakness, Jones' lack of playmaking is an even bigger extreme. He has a combined 26 big-time throws across the past four seasons. Jones won the Colts' starting job this offseason, and he should do a good job keeping the offense on schedule compared to Anthony Richardson Sr., but his lack of playmaking ability might be a problem for the team in 2025."

"He's trying to be the best player he can be for the team." @Colts QB Daniel Jones will be one of the team captains this upcoming season. ➡️ https://t.co/WJ0jxc5aIy #ForTheShoe | @DeForestBuckner | @JoshDowns pic.twitter.com/kAfLdtK6Tb
— Andrew Chernoff - WISH-TV (@ADChernoff) August 29, 2025

Jones will be efficient and accurate, but names like wide receiver Alec Pierce might suffer in the 2025 season since he's more of a deep threat. For the former Cincinnati Bearcat, this isn't a good thing, not just for his statistics coming off an insanely good 2024 season, but he's in a contract year, as well.

Jones' career is full of short, quick throws. When observing his completions (1,437) in comparison to the passing yards gained (14,582), it equates to an underwhelming 10.15 yards per completion. To show how much more explosive Richardson has been, the now-backup QB averages 13.59 yards per completion through 15 games.

While the Colts are going to be happy that Jones will operate the offense better than Richardson, Steichen's scheme also needs to have vertical shots to open up underneath passes and the ground game for a talent like running back Jonathan Taylor to operate.

Jones earned the starting position over Richardson, but it remains to be seen if defenses against him will force the QB to try deeper throws, understanding he favors the safer ones. Jones chose Indianapolis in free agency because he felt it was the easiest path to starting, and he was correct.

Now, he must do something with it and help the Colts achieve more than eight or nine wins this year. If Jones can do that, it might completely shake up the quarterback situation for the future and force Indy to make a very tough decision on what to do with Richardson.