Did the Indianapolis Colts make the right decision by bringing back Daniel Jones?
This is the question that ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano asked in a recent article of his. With mandatory minicamp beginning for many teams around the NFL, Graziano highlighted the one big question within each quarterback room.
No surprise when it comes to the Colts, but those unknowns are centered around Jones and his play in 2026, coming off a major injury.
“The Colts need Jones to be healthy,” wrote Graziano, “which he has struggled to be throughout his NFL career. And they need him to perform the way he did before his injury, when he was among the top eight in completion percentage (68%) and Total QBR (63). There were other options on the QB market, but the Colts never wavered. They’d better hope that was the right decision. Jobs and the future direction of the franchise are riding on it.”
From the jump this offseason, the Colts made it crystal clear that re-signing Jones was a priority. Although things took a turn at one point with Indianapolis using the transition tag, eventually a deal got done, with the Colts re-signing Jones to a two-year, $88 million deal.
In short, the Colts are banking on Jones returning to his pre-injury form. Through 10 games, the Colts were 8-2, with Jones ranked near the top of the NFL in several major passing categories. The Colts’ offense was also one of the highest-scoring units in the league.
Beyond the fact that Jones is coming off an Achilles injury, one other pause for concern is that prior to that injury taking place, defenses were already beginning to stifle the Colts’ offense. Was that a sign of things to come?
Ultimatley, whether or not the Colts can end their current playoff drought hinges on what version of Jones the team sees in 2026.
During OTAs, Jones participated in the 7-on-7 team periods in practice. While there are still hurdles to overcome in his recovery, Jones says he will “absolutely” be ready for Week 1.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: ESPN NFL reporter poses key question for Colts’ quarterback room
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Colts Wire | USA TODAY Network
