Colts Continue to Be Delusional About Daniel Jones

The Indianapolis Colts have been at the top of NFL news with the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, November 10th.

Jonathan Taylor and Josh Downs are at the forefront, but now Daniel Jones is in the fray for QB-needy teams with the mid-point of the NFL season approaching.

Initially, it was all about the Minnesota Vikings being a suitor since Kevin O'Connell had a previous connection with Jones from his brief time there in 2024.

Now, per The Ringer's Tom Pelissero, the Colts have shut the door on dealing off Jones despite a 2-6 record in a completely lost season.

The Colts have received calls on QB Daniel Jones ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, but they’ve told interested teams they aren’t trading him.

More in The Sweep: https://t.co/2WjDotrPhy pic.twitter.com/LYOgpVd3gL
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 7, 2026

The Colts have already traded Quenton Nelson (Seattle Seahawks) and DeForest Buckner (San Francisco 49ers) to signal a rebuild.

It makes sense if the Colts were to retain Taylor and Downs. Taylor is one of the franchise's greatest players and is still in prime form at 27-years-old.

As for Downs, despite requesting a trade, he's shown to be one of the best slot receivers in the league on any given game day, and is only in his fourth NFL season at 25-years-old.

In short, both of these players could be vital for the rebuild if they aren't traded.

As for Jones, there's no chance that he's a part of that strategy, yet the Colts and head coach Shane Steichen continue to campaign for him to remain under center and not trade him.

#Colts HC Shane Steichen, asked if Daniel Jones is held to a softer standard:

“It goes back to the preparation and the command he has of the offense. …”

“You want to have accountability, but like I said, I feel in this situation that he gives us the best chance to win.” pic.twitter.com/2jsFHaf1Jk
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) November 2, 2026

Quite frankly, Indianapolis should do whatever they can to trade Jones at this point, especially considering that he's suddenly not in the Colts' plans for the future.

Along with that, Jones has shown zero ability to be stable under center this year, and has looked arguably worse than at any point during his veteran NFL career.

Through eight games, Jones has 162/268 completions (60.4 percent), six total touchdowns (five passing), nine interceptions, and four fumbles. The honest truth is that Jones has simply been awful.

Tack on that Anthony Richardson Sr. threatens a defense more than Jones, and that the Colts would save $11,600,000 in 2027 by trading him (Over the Cap), it makes even more sense to get him off the roster.

Daniel Jones makes a call at the line of scrimmage. — Nov 1, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) runs the offense during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NFL is full of smoke screens around the trade deadline on an annual basis, so one might look at Pelissero's update as a ploy from Jones' camp, or the Colts, to drive up a better deal.

However, Pelissero is arguably the closest insider to the Colts franchise, so when he reports something from Indianapolis, it can be trusted to the highest degree.

This is why I said the earlier reports re: trade talks for Jones were likely from his camp.

Pelissero is very plugged into the Colts, and it seems like Indy wants to keep him at least the rest of the season. https://t.co/ORYDeYD4qD
— Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreNFL) November 7, 2026

Anything can happen as the NFL trade deadline approaches, but seeing how committed Steichen is to Jones, paired with the Pelissero update, it appears that the Colts are sticking with the struggling quarterback for the rest of this season.

For any Colts fans who hoped that Richardson would get a chance to start, that reality looks to be an afterthought.

Even if Jones continues his erratic play for a bare Colts offense, I can't imagine he'll be benched so Richardson can finally get a look as the starter under center.

Until Tuesday, fans should cast their eyes on Taylor and Downs, because it's clear that the Colts are committing to Jones for the rest of the 2026 season.

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