Colts' Daniel Jones Dubbed 'Winner' Despite 'Not Earning' Contract

The Indianapolis Colts signed Daniel Jones to a $14 million contract. CBS Sports dubs him an offseason "winner" but claims he isn't worth as much.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) celebrates after scoring a 2nd half touchdown against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts had some tough decisions to make at the quarterback position this offseason.

They used the fourth-overall pick on Anthony Richardson two years ago, but he still, to this point, has not given them the confidence that he's their future. There have been issues with injuries, on-field play, and the Colts feeling they need to keep him accountable by bringing in competition.

Still, the Colts are not giving up on Richardson.

They could have ponied up the money and brought in someone like Sam Darnold or Justin Fields, who would essentially be guaranteed the starting spot, but the Colts want to exhaust their options to see if Richardson becomes "the guy."

Enter Daniel Jones, a maligned quarterback who has taken his own lumps in his career and is further down the spiral than Richardson. The Colts are giving him what may be his last shot in the NFL to be a starter, as the team plans to put Richardson and Jones in a true best-man-wins competition to be the starting quarterback in 2025.

With both players coming off of seasons that had people writing them off, the move to pair them together to compete has left many people baffled.

Garrett Podell of CBS Sports recently compiled his list of NFL free agency winners and losers and included Jones among the winners. However, this was a backhanded compliment.

Daniel Jones has been riding the struggle bus on the football field and popping bottles of champagne off of it lately. The 2024 season marked the fourth time in the last five seasons he has started each of his team's first 10 games and had fewer than 10 touchdown passes. That's something all other NFL quarterbacks have done four times total in the last five years, per CBS Sports Research. Jones has also gone 58 consecutive starts without throwing three or more touchdowns in a game, which is the longest streak in the last 30 seasons, per CBS Sports Research.

Despite the on-field issues and the New York Giants eating a $22 million dead cap hit in 2025 for releasing him midseason in 2024, Jones still landed a one-year, $14 million contract with $13.15 million fully guaranteed from the Indianapolis Colts to compete with Anthony Richardson. Nothing Jones has done on the field is worth over $13 million guaranteed, but he and his agent stay winning. 

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To the point of Jones never having done anything on the field to warrant even being paid his current contract, there may be some merit to that.

As a passer, Jones has been nothing to write home about. He's never gone below 60% completions, but he's also never thrown for more than 3,200 yards or a yards-per-attempt of at least 7.0, and he's only thrown for 20-plus touchdowns once (as a rookie).

However, what's often discounted is Jones' ability to run with the ball. In 2022, just before the New York Giants gave him a $160 million contract extension, Jones rushed for 700 yards and seven touchdowns. Colts head coach Shane Steichen knows what to do with that, having coached players such as Jalen Hurts and Richardson, who can run with the football better than most other quarterbacks. Steichen has also coached guys who are primary passers but who you can keep on the move with regularity, such as Justin Herbert and Gardner Minshew. Stylistically, it wouldn't be difficult for Steichen to figure out how to best use Jones.

Back to the point of Jones not being worth what the Colts are paying him, it's not much of a consequential move, especially when you know you need to add a real quarterback. Despite the view on Jones as a player, many offensive coaches would be ecstatic to have a quarterback in the room who's started nearly 70 games in his career.

The NFL salary cap is rising by almost $24 million from last year, and Jones' $14 million per year figure ranks 21st among NFL quarterbacks. The other quarterbacks behind him are all either still on their rookie deals or are backups, so you're essentially paying Jones the highest backup money in the NFL. However, they're not just asking him to be the backup, cut and dry -- he might be their starter. In that instance, Jones would be the least-paid veteran starter in the NFL.

The highest likelihood feels like Richardson wins the competition, as he's already in place, the locker room supports him, the Colts want it to work out with him, and it's reasonable to expect some progress from him this offseason. That makes Jones the backup. However, Richardson has missed 17 games in two years with a concussion, shoulder, oblique, and back injuries, so just as much of a likelihood is that we'll see Jones on the field at some point, whether he's the designated starter or not.

Let's say the Colts are in the playoff push in 2025, as they have been for much of the last four years since the last time they made the postseason, then the Colts will need quarterback play they can trust. Whether it's as the QB1 or in relief as the backup, $14 million is likely worth a shot at the playoffs for the Colts.

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