Colts Are 'Gambling' With Their QB Situation

Daniel Jones was one of the coolest stories of the NFL last year. After joining the Indianapolis Colts and winning the starting QB gig, he looked better than ever under Shane Steichen.

However, this came crashing down in the worst way when he sustained a season-ending Achilles injury after 13 games. Now, Indianapolis is rolling with Jones despite the Achilles injury and his never finishing a full NFL season.

Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon isn't high on what's brewing with the Colts, calling Jones a 'gamble' while placing the Indianapolis quarterback conundrum into his 10 worst QB situations in the league.

"Daniel Jones is now a highly-paid, injured, potential less-than-one-year-wonder, while Anthony Richardson has been such a bust that they're paying Jones $44 million a year anyway.

We don't even know if Jones will recover from a torn Achilles in time for the start of the 2026 season. The reality is, he has a career passer rating of 86.6 over seven NFL seasons. It's fair to say the Colts are gambling, but what choice do they have?"

Colts and QB Daniel Jones are finalizing a two-year, $88 million deal that can be worth up to $100 million with incentives. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/gTvwBNquHb
— NFL (@NFL) March 11, 2026

Jones looked great with the Colts during his 13 games, posting 3,101 passing yards, a rock-solid 68.0 completion percentage, 24 all-purpose touchdowns, and a 100.2 passer rating.

However, the competition he faced was underwhelming, featuring teams like the Miami Dolphins (7-10), Las Vegas Raiders (3-14), Tennessee Titans (3-14), and Arizona Cardinals (3-14).

There were impressive games during that stint, with wins over the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers. Also, Jones had a great game despite losing to the Los Angeles Rams. All of these teams ended up being playoff-bound.

But the Achilles injury and history of health setbacks are the concerns over his previous play efficiency.

Returning from an Achilles tear is a rigorous, complicated, and long process. It's not a guarantee that he'll come back as the same efficient quarterback he was for Indianapolis in 2025.

As for Anthony Richardson Sr., who Gagnon also mentions, he's been allowed to seek a trade after being nothing short of a bust for Indianapolis during his three seasons.

Anthony Richardson Sr. runs off the field after a loss to the 49ers. — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) leaves the field Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, after a loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Also, Richardson lost the quarterback duel to Jones and continued to have a mountain of injuries as a backup to the former New York Giants QB.

In short, Gagnon is on point to name the Colts' quarterback room on his list of undesirable situations. Outside of the 2022 campaign where the Giants limited how much Jones had to pass the ball, 2025 is the only solid year from the former sixth-overall pick.

As for Richardson, should he somehow not find a trade partner, the Colts are highly unlikely to take on his fifth-year option. If he needs to start, he'll have to make leaps and bounds to show he's better than what we've seen on the field.

The Colts didn't really have much of a choice but to keep Jones, given the lack of talent available through free agency.

As for the NFL draft, there aren't many names that are reliable outside of Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. Also, the Colts don't have a first-round pick and have many other needs on the roster to address.

Jones has a massive year ahead. He'll need to showcase that he's not a one-year wonder while also helping Indianapolis press for a divisional title and make the playoffs.

We'll see how his rehab goes. As for Richardson, it will be interesting to watch how his trade situation rolls out.

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