Colts reference Indiana Jones after Daniel Jones signing

The Indiana Jones nickname is fitting for the quarterback. We will see if it sticks if (or when) Jones takes over the reins as the Colts’ starting quarterback.

Why did the Indianapolis Colts sign Daniel Jones in free agency?

One of the Colts’ key free agent signings was Jones. He will seemingly have a chance to compete for the starting job with Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Throughout the first two seasons of his career, Richardson has only played in 15 games. Injuries have plagued him, and the inconsistency in his passing has as well. He has only completed 50.6% of his passes so far.

In his second season, Richardson passed for eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. However, he did add 499 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns.

Now, he will have to beat out Jones, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, to win the starting job in 2025. Jones is coming off a rocky 2024, during which he started the year as the New York Giants’ quarterback. He was then cut mid-season before signing with the Minnesota Vikings.

However, Jones did not appear in any games with the Vikings. He spent most of the year on the practice squad before being elevated heading into the postseason.

In 10 games with the Giants in 2024, Jones threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was sacked 29 times and also scored two rushing touchdowns.

His Giants career

Before being released by the Giants, Jones was their starter for five seasons. He took over for Eli Manning in Week 3 of the 2019 NFL season, leading the Giants to a comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The rest of the season did not go as well. He went 1-9 over his last 10 games after winning his first two starts. Jones did throw for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns during his rookie season. He did fumble the football 18 times, though.

The next couple of years would be riddled with injuries and mediocre play. Jones threw a combined 21 touchdowns and 17 touchdowns over those seasons. He played in 25 games between the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

In 2022, Jones had his breakout year, which earned him a big contract extension with the Giants. The Giants went 9-6-1 in Brian Daboll’s first season as the head coach of the team.

Jones completed 67.2% of his passes during the season, and he started a career-high 16 games. He passed for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Additionally, he had a career year when running the football. Jones rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns. He cut down his fumbles as well, only fumbling it six times.