How confident is Colts' Daniel Jones following rough 2024 season?

The perception exists that quarterback Daniel Jones lost at least some confidence after the "Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants" program confirmed that Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll wanted to acquire Jones' replacement during the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Now with the Indianapolis Colts, Jones addressed his mindset as he prepares for the "open" competition with 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson.

"I’m still very confident in my ability to play quarterback at a high level in this league," Jones said, as shared by Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. "I think there’s a lot of good football ahead of me."

Jones was recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in November 2023 when the "Hard Knocks" episodes aired, and the 2024 Giants then fell to 2-8 before they benched and subsequently released the 2019 first-round draft pick. Jones ultimately ended the campaign as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings but never took a meaningful in-game snap for that club. 

According to Pro Football Reference, Jones finished the season ranked 32nd among qualified players with a 47.8 adjusted QBR, 38th with a 79.4 passer rating, 30th with a 63.3% completion percentage and tied for 30th with a 43.0% passing success rate. 

While there's speculation that the Colts brought Jones in to help bolster Richardson's "dedication" to the cause, it is worth noting that Jones received a one-year, $14M contract that could be worth up to $17.7M and that included $13.15M guaranteed. That's not the kind of money a club gives a signal-caller to simply mentor a promising prospect. 

"[It's] an opportunity to come in and compete, and I'm looking forward to that," Jones said about joining Indianapolis in free agency, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. "... A lot of respect for Anthony, watching him. I think he's certainly a talented young player, and I think the competition aspect of it brings out the best in everybody. And I think we're both interested in helping this team win games and whatever we can do to help that happen."

Jones also seems to believe he will enter September atop Indianapolis' depth chart. If such a scenario plays out, it could spark the beginning of the end of Richardson's time with the organization that drafted him less than two full years ago.