Should the Colts re-sign Daniel Jones?

After being selected by the Giants with the sixth overall pick, Daniel Jones’ tenure at Metlife was chock-full of disaster. Jones, nicknamed “Danny Dimes” became infamous for his failings as the successor to Eli Manning. Save for a 2022 run where Jones passed for 3024 yards and ran for an extra 708, he was a laughingstock. Furthermore, that 2022 season ended up doing more harm than good. The Giants inked Jones to a 4 year 160 million dollar deal following that year. Of course, anyone in his shoes would take that money in a heartbeat, but the point is that it only added fire to the fuel of the critics who lambasted Jones and his play.

Then, he made a move to Indianapolis, joining a team where he had a legit shot at being the starter. Following training camp where he was anointed the squad’s signal-caller, Jones hit the ground running. In his first 12 games, he logged 3041 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns and 7 INTs. Danny Dimes was gone, it was now Indiana Jones’ time to shine. That individual success intertwined with the Colts’ dominant play, as the team secured 8 wins and just 4 losses. He was setting himself up for his second big payday, this time with his new home in Indiana. That was of course, before an Achilles tear derailed those ambitions.

Now, the Colts are face to face with a dilemma. After trading away two first round selections for Sauce Gardner, selecting a premium prospect at QB is near impossible. However, they’re hesitant to back up the brinks truck for Daniel Jones. What Indianapolis decides to do this off-season will shape the following few years of their organization. So, with all that said, what should they do?

What does his play say?

With Jones under center, Shane Steichen got to see his offensive vision fulfilled. A dominant run game that opened up the attack through the air allowed Indy to constantly put points on the board. It also paired well with Daniel Jones, who looked comfortable in the pocket and saw his skillset maximized. Thanks to the top-tier pass-blocking by the big guys up front, it was mostly smooth sailing with him calling the shots. Nevertheless, when protection did break down, Jones’ flaws reared their ugly heads. He still faltered under pressure, and when the run game malfunctioned, so did Jones.

The Colts’ tricky situation

Despite the fact that Jones at times loses his composure, he’s still the best option Indianapolis has right now. The Colts don’t have a quarterback, period. You can debate all you want whether or not Jones is worth the price he’ll fetch, but at the end of the day, the fit with the Colts is there. If Indy were to scour through free agency for a new signal-caller, they’d likely be in the same ballpark in terms of price as Jones. If that’s the case, why gamble with an external addition if you know the fit with Jones is there?

The Colts are in a precarious situation, and while it wouldn’t be avoidable, having those two first rounders would have made the issue easier to deal with. Regardless, this is the state their franchise is in right now. With the tenth most cap space in the league, they can afford to keep Daniel Jones for a couple of years. All that’s left is to maintain the effectiveness of his supporting cast. If they do so, Jones will provide some respectable play before an eventual franchise guy steps into the fray,