Colts reportedly tell Daniel Jones they won't trade him amid Vikings rumors

Quarterback Daniel Jones is among the Indianapolis Colts players who became the subjects of trade rumors after the Colts acquired future draft assets for eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner earlier this fall. 

It sounds like Jones will stay put through the NFL trade deadline, which arrives at 4:00 p.m. ET this coming Tuesday.

Colts "never had any intention of" trading Daniel Jones

On Sunday night, NFL insider Tom Pelissero of The Ringer and Netflix shared that the Colts informed Jones "on Saturday they’re not trading him by Tuesday’s deadline." 

"Teams called and the Colts listened," Pelissero explained. "But they never had any intention of moving him. Despite speculation, Jones is staying in Indy."

Former Colts general manager Chris Ballard received criticism from members of the NFL community after he retained Jones' rights by using the transition tag on the quarterback earlier this year. The Colts and Jones then agreed to a two-year, $88M deal that could be worth up to $100M in March. 

Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon fired Ballard in October, and Indianapolis fell to 2-7 on the season when the club suffered a 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. According to ESPN stats, Jones began Monday ranked 29th in the league among 31 qualified players with a 36.7 adjusted QBR for the campaign. It's believed Irsay-Gordon could part ways with Jones and/or with head coach Shane Steichen following the season. 

"Daniel Jones is due $38M in 2027, with only about $10.5M guaranteed for injury until March," Pelissero added. "That’s mid-tier QB money, giving whoever the new GM is optionality as the rebuild begins."

Could an NFC team cause Colts to reconsider keeping Daniel Jones?

Meanwhile, it was learned last week that Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Kyler Murray could miss multiple games due to a hamstring injury. Backup Carson Wentz will start for the 6-1 Vikings when they host the 6-1 Buffalo Bills on Monday night, and Wentz presumably could remain atop the Minnesota depth chart if he plays well in that contest. 

However, Jones was with the Vikings from late November 2024 through the end of that season. He never played for Minnesota during that cup-of-coffee stint, but perhaps the Vikings could give the Colts a call about his services if the NFC North side falls to 6-2.