Insider reveals shocking update on how teams viewed Colts' Daniel Jones after 2024 season

Free-agency signing Daniel Jones seemingly entered the Indianapolis Colts' summer break penciled in as the club's Week 1 starting quarterback, if only because third-year pro Anthony Richardson was shut down from throwing in late May after he experienced discomfort in his surgically-repaired shoulder. 

Jones ended the 2024 season serving as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings after he was discarded by the New York Giants in November of last year. Despite how poorly he played over the final few months of his Giants tenure, it seems the Colts weren't the only team that wanted him to compete for a QB1 job this summer. 

"There were teams around the league that had a need at the quarterback position, or potentially, that really liked Daniel Jones," ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said during a recent appearance on the "NFL Live" program, per Jake Arthur of Sports Illustrated. "The Colts were not the only ones. There was more interest in Daniel Jones out there than people realize."

Jones went 3-13 over his final 16 starts with the Giants from September 2023 through last fall. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2024 regular season ranked 29th among qualified players with a 47.8 adjusted QBR, 35th with a 79.4 passer rating and tied for 29th with a 43.0% passing success rate. Nevertheless, Jones received a one-year, $14M contract that's worth up to $17.7M and included $13.15M guaranteed from the Colts this past March. 

"The Indianapolis Colts are paying Daniel Jones more this year than the Pittsburgh Steelers are paying Aaron Rodgers," Schefter added during the show segment. "So, there is certainly some sense of expectation that at some point this season, maybe sooner rather than later, depending on how Anthony Richardson is recovering, we're gonna see Daniel Jones out there at some point."

As of Tuesday afternoon, FanDuel Sportsbook had Richardson at -122 betting odds to start Indianapolis' Week 1 game versus the Miami Dolphins over Jones (-113 odds). According to JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' website, head coach Shane Steichen plans to "ease" Richardson back into throwing once the 23-year-old is cleared to resume practicing. 

It's unknown if Richardson will play when the Colts open the preseason with a matchup at the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 7. If he can't, Jones could be given a chance to build an insurmountable lead in the battle for the Indianapolis starting gig.