The Indianapolis Colts have been the best story in the NFL over the first two months of the 2025 season. Indy is 6-1 heading into Week 8 and riding a three-game winning streak. And I can't believe I'm writing this, but it is all because of QB Daniel Jones.
Jones deserves a big apology from NFL fans everywhere after his truly impressive start to the 2025 season. The quarterback formerly known as Danny Dimes was widely disrespected during his Giants tenure. But now he is proving what he can do when he is surrounded by a good situation and has excellent coaching.
And he is earning some well-deserved praise from the national media.
Kay Adams is all in on Jones, praising the quarterback earlier in October for his incredible season.
“I am gonna say it. Daniel Jones is the best quarterback in the division, at the very least — that's the floor,” Adams declared after Week 6. “Six weeks in, and no one has been consistently better than DJ, who's getting better and better.”
Adams explained that Jones is playing well under pressure in Indy. That is the exact opposite of how he was perceived after starting his career in New York.
“And [in Week 6], my guy was on another level. In a game where his defense struggled, they did, he just kept answering against what is a tough Cardinals defense. Three total touchdowns, brilliant game-winning drive, big-time throws under pressure, as usual. He likes pressure, he performs better under it, in fact.”
It is fair to say that Jones is a completely different quarterback than he was with the Giants. And he should be treated as such when it comes time to hand out awards at the end of the season.
Now is finally the time we start treating Indiana Jones as a real MVP candidate as we approach the halfway point of the season.
Daniel Jones is a legitimate MVP candidate after first half of 2025 season
MVP can be one of the more difficult awards to predict in the NFL.
Jones is already the most obvious name for Comeback Player of the Year. But he also has a strong argument to win MVP if he continues playing the way he has so far.
The veteran quarterback has 1,790 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions through seven games. He also has a career-best 71.0% completion percentage, which is one of the best in the league.
But let's not forget that Jones is a solid running quarterback as well. He's also managed 29 carries for 83 yards and four rushing touchdowns on the ground.
Unfortunately, Jones is still a longshot to win MVP. At least according to major sportsbooks.
Daniel Jones has +2200 odds to win MVP on DraftKings. That puts him seventh in the NFL behind Patrick Mahomes (+125), Josh Allen (+360), Baker Mayfield (+700), Drake Maye (+850), Matthew Stafford (+1000), and Jared Goff (+1800).
Ultimately, the MVP award is designed to go to a quarterback like Jones who can completely transform a team. That should help him remain competitive for the award throughout the rest of the season.
But the Colts may need to make some noise in the playoffs to push Jones over the top for some voters.
Has Daniel Jones turned the Colts into Super Bowl contenders?
But what is the ceiling for the Colts now that they have an MVP-caliber quarterback in Daniel Jones?
At this point in the season, Indianapolis has given the NFL no reason to doubt them as one of the AFC's best teams.
The Colts have the best record in the NFL at 6-1. If the season ended today, they would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC and have home-field advantage throughout the postseason. That is a pretty straightforward argument for the Colts being Super Bowl contenders.
I will admit, Indy's resume is a little bit propped up by their schedule.
The Colts play in the AFC South and they look like the only sure thing in the division. Tennessee is a disaster, Houston is a middle-of-the-road operation, and Jacksonville is floundering after a strong start to the season. All six of those games lean in favor of Indianapolis.
Meanwhile the Colts have already played subpar teams like the Dolphins, Raiders, and Cardinals.
But Indianapolis will have some legitimate tests coming in the second half of the season. Not only will this reveal how playoff-ready they are, but they could also impact playoff seeding.
Colts at Chiefs in Week 12 should be a game that every fan has circled on their calendar. That game could end up being a preview of the AFC Championship if things go well for Indy.
Indianapolis will be just fine if they keep playing great football with Daniel Jones under center.
