Colts' Quarterback Praised as Top Insurance Policy

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was signed to compete with Anthony Richardson, and while it might seem like it's Richardson's job to lose, Jones can't fail either, or he might be relegated to backup status moving forward.

In a piece from Sports Illustrated Gilberto Manzano they rank the 32 backup quarterbacks and places Jones in favorable territory at third.

"It’s hard to trust a quarterback as inconsistent as Jones. Still, his skill set and starting experience could make him a reliable backup, especially in situations requiring his services for longer than a week. There’s also the possibility of Jones flourishing away from the struggling Giants."

When Jones was in the Big Apple, the New York Giants didn't help him as much as he needed. Yes, Jones struggled with winning games, pocket presence, and turnovers, but his offense and protection left a lot to be desired.

Jones started 69 games and was sacked an incredible 208 times in that span (around three times per contest). While some sacks can be attributed to Jones holding onto the football for too long, that type of quantity has to give the offensive line some blame. Also, the lack of offensive weapons (minus Saquon Barkley) didn't assist the former sixth-overall pick and Duke Blue Devil.

Manzano continues while discussing the supporting cast Jones has at his disposal should he win the gig or need to start due to Richardson missing time.

"In Indianapolis, Jones will play with Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. and will be guided by coach Shane Steichen. There’s a chance Jones wins the starting gig, but the team likely favors Anthony Richardson after investing a first-round pick in him in 2023."

Jones gets a fresh set of weapons, as Manzano brings up, in running back Jonathan Taylor, wideouts Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. (among others), and rookie tight end Tyler Warren. This gives him the best group he's been surrounded by and might surface the top Jones we've seen.

Jones has a lot riding on this competition, like Richardson, possibly more. Even if Richardson doesn't play well, he can potentially have another suitor down the road who will try to give him a shot at starting since he will have played only three seasons and he's 23 years old.

As for Jones, he's heading into year seven and was released by the Giants in 2024, only to end up as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings. Now, he has a golden opportunity to show the NFL, and Colts, that he is more capable than holding a clipboard on the sidelines.

This battle for starting privileges is the top story and will be for months to come in the Circle City, and it's fair to say that, given how important the quarterback is in the modern-day NFL. Let's see how this plays out with the Colts, because whoever loses out will have a completely uncertain future in the league.

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