Horseshoe Huddle

Can Colts' Daniel Jones Really Win MVP?

The Indianapolis Colts have had a perfect start, but is Daniel Jones a serious MVP candidate?
Sean Ackerman|
Sep 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium.
Sep 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

Let's make this perfectly clear from the start: We're still in September. The Indianapolis Colts are 3-0, but there are still 14 games left of football to be played. That being said, Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is making history, and he's shown no signs of slowing down.

The Colts have taken care of business against the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and Tennessee Titans to kick off their 2025 campaign. Those three teams have combined for one win, but that shouldn't take anything away from how well Jones and the Colts have played.

Jones became the only quarterback in the Super Bowl era to rush for 3+ touchdowns, pass for 3+ touchdowns, and commit zero turnovers in the first three games of a season. To go from being benched and cut by the New York Giants halfway through last season to playing perfect football less than 12 months later is a true anomaly.

Even with the pressure of stealing a starting job against a fourth-overall pick, Jones has performed at the highest level. Some have thought of him as a possible candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year award. But what if we climb one step higher? Could Jones de-throne Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen to become the league's Most Valuable Player?

Truthfully, it seems like a reach. Jones can lead scoring drives, but touchdowns have been tough to come by for the Colts' offense. Indy currently has a 43.75% red zone conversion rate, which ranks 26th in the league. 15 of the last 17 quarterbacks to win MVP have led their team to a top-10 red zone conversion rate, with Aaron Rodgers being the only exception in 2014 and 2021.

Even though Rodgers struggled to convert red zone opportunities in those years, the voters turned to his impeccable touchdown-to-interception ratio to rationalize their MVP choice. Jones has thrown for three touchdowns and zero picks, but more touchdowns would likely be needed to earn the respect of voters.

Unless he magically throws for zero interceptions and the Colts finish nearly undefeated, there wouldn't be great reasoning to hand him the MVP. Again, there's so much football left, so it's all speculation and guessing at this point.

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ESPN analyst Dan Graziano raised a couple of good points. Not only is it too early, but we've seen similar stories fall short of winning MVP time and time again.

"I have full respect for what Jones is doing, and I think it's sustainable to some degree," Graziano wrote. "The Colts' formula feels not unlike the one the Giants employed when they made the playoffs with Jones at quarterback in 2022. This Colts team probably has a better roster than that Giants team did. But it's just way too early for this kind of [MVP] talk."

"Even after the great performance Sam Darnold had in Minnesota last season, he still got only three fifth-place votes and finished 10th in the MVP balloting. This is an extremely fun story, and Jones and the Colts can absolutely win the AFC South. But MVP? Daniel Jones? That still feels as though it's a galaxy far, far away."

To be fair, I don't think Jones winning MVP is that unrealistic. If the Colts can pull off some underdog wins, like this weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, then Jones' resume suddenly gets much deeper.

One major issue is that the Bills and Josh Allen have an extremely "easy" schedule (no game in the NFL can be taken for granted). Of all the teams left on their schedule, three of them currently have a winning record.

Allen's playmaking ability is also far more fun to watch. Social media highlights can subconsciously influence the minds of voters, and it's nearly certain that Allen will produce plenty more highlight-worthy moments than Jones.

The path to being named the best player in the league is treacherous for Jones, but it's not necessarily impossible. It's just highly unlikely.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.

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