Biggest Takeaway From Colts' Win Against Dolphins: Perhaps Daniel Jones is Ideal Bridge Option After All

The Indianapolis Colts entered their Week 10 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on a five-game losing streak.

After four quarters of back-and-forth dysfunction, the Colts came out on top to earn their third victory of the season. It required a matchup against a first-time starter at quarterback for a one-win team, but the new-look Colts needed this confidence boost as they turn to their future.

Nothing has changed as far as the Colts' 2026-27 season is concerned, though their efforts in Week 10 has provided something to look forward to as the end of their previous era is slowly but surely weeded out.

The decision to keep rolling with Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback makes zero sense, but there's reason to believe he'd be the Colts' best option as far as a bridge quarterback for the next regime's first season goes.

Follow along as I break down my biggest takeaway from the Colts' win in question.

Why Daniel Jones May Just be the Ideal Bridge QB for 2027

Nov 15, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hear me out.

The Indianapolis Colts declined to trade starting quarterback Daniel Jones at the deadline despite interest because they wanted to provide the next general manager the opportunity to either roll with Jones as the bridge quarterback for 2027-28, or make him a June 1st cut designation.

The latter would save the Colts ~$38 million in cap space for 2027-28, though it would have to be accounted for after the fact, whether that be solely for 2028 or via a prorated payout in the years following.

Regardless, the notion of keeping Jones around seems nonsensical.

Head coach Shane Steichen will undoubtedly prefer to roll with Jones if he's given the opportunity to right the ship in 2027, but there's almost no reason to believe that the Colts quarterback will provide a steady hand in furthering the development of the future.

Here's how Daniel Jones has fared over the last four weeks:

1. 13-22 (59.1%) 108 pass yards, 1 INT
2. 19-28 (67.9%) 144 pass yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
3. 20-34 (58.8%) 180 pass yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
4. 11-22 (50%) 108 pass yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Jones wasn't much better prior to this stretch, but he still warranted benching considerations, and this four-game performance proves that he cannot get the job done.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge his league-worst supporting cast, at least regarding the wide receiver position, but plenty of other quarterbacks in similar, if not worse, situations have managed to play better.

Shane Steichen's Refusal to Bench Daniel Jones

Nov 1, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) talsk to head coach Shane Steichen during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shane Steichen has remained steadfast in his belief that Jones is the best option for the 2026-27 Colts, and he explained what goes into his weekly process of determining whether or not a change is needed following the team's Week 10 win against the Dolphins.

"I think I take everything into account," Steichen explained. "I always go back and look at the film and make sure, 'on this play, was it his fault or someone else's fault?' There's a lot that goes into it. Obviously, the biggest thing is taking care of the football moving forward."

This is the sixth straight week that Steichen has said Jones needs to clean up his ball security, yet we've not seen results.

And because I no longer can make sense of Steichen's refusal to entertain a quarterback change, the only way I can justify the Colts keeping Jones around to be their bridge option is due to the fact he may just be the best possible tank commander.

Daniel Jones Tank Commander?

Indianapolis would still owe Jones mid-tier QB money in this hypothetical, which would be an overpay if he continued to play as he has in 2026.

However, that may just be the best course of action.

As a friendly reminder, the Colts are without their 2027 first-round pick, so any chances of finding their face of the franchise are slim to none as far as this upcoming draft goes. However, they still have their own 2028 first-round pick, therefore all eyes are set on the 2028 NFL Draft.

The Colts will likely be one of the league's worst teams next season, but they can't just throw games a la Paul Crewe in their pursuit of a top draft selection.

Openly tanking is not just frowned upon in the NFL; it's the biggest possible rules violation.

But if the Colts convince the league that they're honorably tanking with a proven quarterback, then no harm, no foul.

This is mostly a tongue-in-cheek proposal, but then again, Jones has played so poorly in 2026 that this outcome is not ridiculous.

The Colts' 2027-28 offense will largely feature the same personnel; therefore, it's fair to envision a reality where a Jones-led operation nets similar results.

Ideally, the new era will bring inspiration to whichever version of the new-look Colts we get, thus giving us a stronger floor than what we're seeing this season, but we'd need an unforeseen turnaround before we can envision a Jones-led Colts offense being anything other than dysfunctional.

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