He's the epitome of understatement, and his public persona screams more than an NFL quarterback. If you ask his teammates for something interesting about him, something enlightening, something that proves he's more than just a robot who happens to play football, you'll get a lot of pursed lips, tilted heads, and long stretches of silence.
Even Daniel Jones admits this.
“I don’t really do much other than those things,” he said.
this thing A year after the Giants cast aside Jones, he was buried on the Vikings' depth chart at season's end, taking charge of the scout team offense and will lead the NFL's most efficient offense in six weeks. Even this summer, Jones has been an afterthought everywhere but the Colts' own team in Indianapolis, overshadowed by the immense talent and endless intrigue of Anthony Richardson, Jones' competition for the starting job.
This is a job that the vast majority of fans desperately want Richardson to win.
Charming the spotlight has never been Jones' thing. After a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee during his one year in New York, Jones agreed to have dinner with his former offensive coordinator Jason Garrett in town. The QB was a few minutes late.
“I was angry,” Jones said.
Then he explained. He typically jogs from his home in Hoboken, New Jersey, takes a ferry across the Hudson River, then rents an electric bike and rides into town. But Jones was unable to jog due to a knee injury. He missed the ferry and had to take an Uber.
“Today, all these NFL stars don't go anywhere without a bodyguard,” Garrett said. “This guy was riding a city bike on the West Side Highway. That's the most Daniel Jones thing I can think of.”
Over dinner, Garrett had to ask: Does anyone recognize you when you ride your bike?
“Oh, yes,” Jones said. “I have a lot of double thoughts.”
Pasta and sheets
He arrived in Indianapolis quietly and began to quietly endear himself to coaches and teammates with the habits he developed in New York. Back then, every Friday night was the same: After finishing a plate of pasta bologna, Jones would call his offensive coordinator and go through the entire game schedule.
Jones, he said, has gotten better over the years at knowing what to study and what answers to look for. In Indy, his teammates began laughing at him for showing up late to a group dinner. Jones' excuse: He's usually still at the team facility, watching film carefully.
During Saturday night's quarterback meeting, 16 hours before the Colts take on the Cardinals, Jones asked for some specific clips to be shown on the screen. “Hey, let's pull up the Carolina 42,” he said. “And the Carolina 38.” That's the defense the Cardinals showed to the Panthers in Week 2 a month ago. “Let's make sure we do a good job on this,” Jones told the room.
It's this obsession with the little details that can change a game that makes the marriage to coach and play-caller Sean Steichen so smooth. A former quarterback himself, Steichen gave up partying in high school so he could sneak into stadiums and throw passes to receivers. The coach is always focused on the ball, with little room or interest in anything else.
“That’s what you want in that position,” Steichen said. “When you prepare like he does, you don't blink.”
Jones didn't. The Colts haven't. They're 5-1, leading the league in scoring and leading a division they haven't won in more than a decade. The Colts have scored 194 points in six games, the most in club history, and that's saying something when a bronze statue of Peyton Manning stands outside the stadium.
Think about it: The missing piece of a wounded team turned out to be a quarterback who, 11 months ago, found himself at the nadir of his career.
In Jones' six seasons in New York, his winning percentage as a starter was less than 35%. (Albello/Getty Images)
Around the same time, the dam began to break in Indianapolis, and Richardson exited a conference road game because, as he later admitted, he was “tired.” The next ten weeks were a soap opera for the Colts. Some veterans felt the need to meet privately with Richardson and urge him to take the job more seriously. Others vented publicly, praising the team's effort, urgency and focus. The ending was so familiar — a fourth straight winter without a playoff berth — that one longtime starter put the blame on the front office. “There's no vision,” he said.
Privately, those words stung Chris Ballard. They pissed him off too. But his team's listless performance in another disappointing season has also forced the longtime general manager to realize one thing: He has become stubborn and stubborn, believing that over time, his methods will prove him right. Eight years have passed, but nothing. It's time to do something different.
In a fiery season-ending press conference, Ballard vowed to be more aggressive in free agency. He is. He also committed to legitimate quarterback competition in training camp. Ballard said if Richardson wanted to keep his job, he would have to earn it. Many around the league remain skeptical, not to mention the fan base. Are the Colts really going to give up on the No. 4 pick in the draft three years into his career?
Ballard offered Jones a one-year, $14 million free agent contract, which is saying something. This is not backup money for the QB. This is not startup capital either. This is open competition for money. Ballard has been haunted by some of his near misses in free agency over the years, including edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who signed with the rival Texans in 2024 after being heavily pursued by the Colts. As for Jones, Ballard wants to make sure he doesn't settle for second best.
What helped him sell the quarterback were lengthy conversations with two of the Colts' assistant offensive line coaches, Tony Sparano and new passing game coordinator Alex Tenney, both of whom had spent time with Jones in New York. They were full of praise for what he did. They vouch for his character. Ballard knew Steichen would grow to like Jones' no-nonsense style. No one in the building needs to ask him to work harder.
Then Jones went out and won the job, and most fans were outraged. Ballard heard it. He knew the story was shaping up: Jones was the wrong choice, Jones would fail, just like he had in New York. Ballard spent much of his season-opening news conference trying to deflect, at times becoming defensive. He doesn't want this season to be a story about a quarterback who misses games. He wanted it to be about that person.
Meanwhile, players are starting to embrace it. Jones and wideout Michael Pittman organized a week of private work in California before the start of training camp, shouldering a large portion of the cost. Pro Bowl left guard Quenton Nelson is as familiar with the Colts' quarterback merry-go-round as anyone on the roster, and he felt the momentum start to build during training camp. “We're having more good days offensively than we've ever had,” he told himself at one point. “This is starting to kick in.”
Wideout Alec Pierce credits it to some rough-and-tumble play. Steichen is launching more live sessions this summer, including some that are completely unscripted. in other words: Forget the training plan, let's go play football. Coaches are forced to make game calls in real time like they did on Sunday. “So players and coaches are competing,” Pierce explained. “That's different. It's good for us.”
There is also the stain of last season.
“Everybody has their battles, they fight and lose their own way,” said linebacker Zaire Franklin, who wrote the check the Colts defense can't cash in 2024. “Everyone said, 'Well, you know what? Let's start over.'”
From there, Franklin listed players old and new — himself, Kenny Moore II, DeForest Buckner, Jones. He also added new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who revitalized a porous team, and new owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon, who took over after her father's death in May. In some ways, this feels like a new era for the series.
So, what exactly is the difference besides quarterback? What's that clicking sound that's never happened before?
The linebacker smiled, then shook his head.
“Honestly,” Franklin said, “we just have a bunch of guys who have been here for a while and are tired of losing.”
“Indiana Jones” led the Colts offense in six weeks, averaging over 32 points per game. (Justin Castlin/Getty Images)
It turns out that Daniel Jones Do Have at least one hobby other than football. He and Pierce spent the summer battling it out on the golf course.
Mostly, though, it's been on the ball: During his downtime, Jones made the trek to Princeton, New Jersey, to help Garrett run his football camp, an event he hasn't missed since the two first met in New York in 2020.
Garrett served as head coach of the Cowboys from 2010-2019 and Giants from 2020-21 and is now an analyst for NBC's “Football Night in America.” He hinted in August that he had found the right man for his veteran quarterback. He spent a day with Jones during training camp, watching film with him and gauging Jones' comfort level with a new city, new coach and new offense. “He needs a fresh start,” Garrett said. “In New York, our image of Daniel was that he was running for his life.”
Things are different in Indianapolis: Through six weeks, the Colts have had the fewest sacks in the league. Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in rushing. Tyler Warren is just a rookie and may already be one of the best tight ends in football. With a capable group of pass catchers like Pittman, Pierce and slot receiver Josh Downs, Jones is in for a treat. The Colts' offense ranks first in points per game, yards per game and offensive success rate. More than 61% of drives ended in points.
Colts offense: 2024 vs. 2025
2024
Statistics
2025
17th
points per game
first place
17th
Yards per play
first place
25th
leave. success rate
first place
No. 32
top/drive
third place
27th
First descent/driving
first place
No. 32
Compare. %
third place
No. 23
passerby rating
No. 11
19th
turnover rate
third place
This is the offense Steichen envisioned when he took over: Throw to score, run to win.
The league has taken notice. So did some of Jones' old teammates.
“I don't expect anyone else to perform at a high level other than Daniel Jones, other than the Philadelphia Eagles and myself,” Saquon Barkley told CBS Sports in September.
“Look, I know this much: Saquon and all his old teammates, they still love him,” Garrett said. “They're going to break through walls for Daniel because he sets the example for the whole building. He's the hardest working guy in the weight room. He's on top of all the wind sprints and all those types of things. He's one of the best guys I've ever had in my career and my coaching career.”
Maybe Jones just needs a clean start to revive his career. Perhaps the Colts' hot start will fade as the season moves into November and December. Maybe it's all fool's gold: After all, five of Indy's wins have come against teams that have finished a combined 10 games below .500.
Garrett knows that if things don't go his way, it won't be any different for his old quarterback. The text he received from Jones after a win and a loss was the same, and it was exactly what you'd expect: “Thanks coach. Keep grinding. Keep working. Get better.”