ESPN Expert Says It's 'Likely' the Colts Play Daniel Jones

ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell took a deep dive into the Colts' signing of Jones and thinks there's a good chance he'll see time on the field this season.

"For whatever benefits playing in Minnesota brings, it's inarguable that Jones has a clearer path to getting on the field in Indianapolis," Barnwell wrote. "... the Colts hardly seem thrilled with 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson. He was benched for Joe Flacco last season after briefly asking out of a game. And while his average pass traveled more than 2.0 yards in the air further than any other regular starter, his 47.7% completion percentage was the worst in NFL history after adjusting for era among passers with a minimum of 200 attempts."

"Coach Shane Steichen and the Colts will hope Jones can hit some of those open receivers, but he shouldn't be considered a plug-and-play replacement. Richardson has been asked to attack downfield in Indy's offense, but that was never Jones' forte in New York. He posted some of the lowest air-yards-per-attempt marks of any quarterback in 2½ seasons under coach Brian Daboll."

"There are reasons to be optimistic about Jones. He was miscast as a $40 million quarterback in New York, but he can be an accurate passer in rhythm and should be able to handle Steichen's RPO calls... Whether through injury or benching, it seems likely Richardson will give way to Jones at some point this season. Jones will have to stay healthy and consistent to keep that opportunity."

Through two seasons, Richardson has started only 15 games for the Colts. Even then, Richardson has left the field early due to injury in three of those 15 games. If the trend continues, Jones will likely be the next man up if Richardson wins the starting job.

Considering both quarterbacks have had success running, there's a chance that Jones will see the field on specially-designed play calls that bring both Richardson and Jones on the field simultaneously. With Steichen's creativity, there's a shot Indy is cooking up some trick plays with both passers.

As Barnwell mentioned, Richardson and Jones do have differing play styles. Richardson will always look for the hero play, while Jones has been far too content with checkdowns. Finding a happy medium between the two seems like the best answer for the Colts' offense.

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