Colts quarterback depth chart after agreeing to terms with Daniel Jones
There's a new Indiana Jones adventure, and it has nothing to do with Harrison Ford.
This Jones is a quarterback named Daniel, and he'll be competing with 22-year-old Anthony Richardson for the Indianapolis Colts' starting job.
According to multiple reports, Daniel Jones and the Colts have agreed to terms on a one-year, $14 million contract.
Jones is coming off of a 2024 season that was wrought with turmoil. He started the season as the starting quarterback for the New York Giants in his second season of a four-year, $160 million contract extension. When the team began the year 2-8 with Jones under center, it moved on, waiving him in late November.
After clearing waivers, Jones signed on with the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in January but never saw in-game action with the team.
Jones finished the 2024 season with 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions on 216-of-341 passing (63.3% completion rate) in 10 games with New York. He also rushed for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 67 attempts (4.0 yards/rush), fumbling four times.
Colts QB depth chart
Here's how the Colts' quarterback depth chart shakes out after signing Jones:
- Anthony Richardson
- Daniel Jones
- Jason Bean
Richardson and Jones are currently the only two quarterbacks Indianapolis has on its active roster under contract for the 2025 NFL season. Richardson, who will be 23 years old and entering his third season, will face competition from Jones for the starting job.
Bean spent all of last season on the practice squad.
Why did the Colts sign Daniel Jones?
Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters at the NFL combine two weeks ago that the team wanted to create "real competition" for Richardson to earn the starting quarterback job.
Head coach Shane Steichen followed up on Ballard's comments at the combine by saying "competition is great for everybody" and that Richardson needed to be more consistent. The former fourth overall pick has a 50.6% completion rate in the 15 games he's played through his first two seasons in the NFL.
Like Jones, the young gunslinger also is coming off of a chaotic 2024 season that included his benching.
Richardson missed two games with an oblique injury early in the season, but what got him benched was his confession that he took himself out of a Week 8 game for one play because he "needed a breather." He returned to the starting role two weeks later after backup Joe Flacco went 0-2.
Richardson finished his second pro season with 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions on 126-of-264 passing (47.7% completion rate). The Colts went 6-5 in Richardson's 11 starts.
Thanks in part to his high yards total and low number of completions, the Florida product led the league with his 14.4 yards per completion.
Jones will look to provide some of the consistency and competition the Colts are looking for as he and Richardson duel for the starting job in Indianapolis.