The Indianapolis Colts made a massive investment when they signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract. Alongside the paycheck, the Colts have determined Jones is the leader they want for their offense.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon is convinced that Indianapolis has found their quarterback. Helping grow her confidence is Jones' bond with head coach Shane Steichen, via Stephen Holder of ESPN.
“If your head coach doesn't believe in your quarterback, you're kind of screwed,” Irsay-Gordon said. “And I think that Shane and Daniel really align.”
Landing the Colts' QB1 job over the offseason, Jones went 8-5 under center. His first year in Indianapolis saw him complete a career-high 68 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He added another 164 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
The Colts looked like a cohesive unit when healthy, winning eight of their first 10 games. However, his injury threw a wrench into any playoff hopes they had. Indianapolis still clearly saw enough to trust him as their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. However, between his extension and wide receiver Alec Pierce's new deal, the Colts were forced to trade away Michael Pittman. Furthermore, key defenders Kwity Paye, Zaire Franklin and Nick Cross are no longer with the organization.
Ultimately though to succeed, you need to have your quarterback in place. Irsay-Gordon believes the Colts do. Once Jones is fully healed from his torn Achilles, he'll need to get to work proving he is worth the $88 million Indianapolis gave him. The Colts now can't afford any struggles.
