Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts were one of the best stories out of Week 1. Jones came out of nowhere and had an excellent game, giving some Colts fans visions of Sam Darnold in 2024. But there was a chance that Jones' finest hour could not have happened at all.
The Daniel Jones era in New York came to an end in 2024 when he was released in late November. Jones joined the Vikings for the rest of the season.
There was a strong possibility that Jones could have stayed in Minnesota for the 2025 season. As The Athletic's Dianna Russini explained, Jones chose Indianapolis for the opportunity to become a starting quarterback.
“A short stop in Minnesota followed, where he teamed up with “QB whisperer” Kevin O’Connell. Jones liked it there, and the organization liked him,” Russini wrote on Saturday. “But the Vikings were invested in the development of McCarthy. During free agency, O’Connell couldn’t promise Jones he’d be the starter, so Jones, who believed he could beat out Richardson, signed in Indy.”
The writing was on the wall that McCarthy would inherit the starting job in Minnesota. So it would never have been a possibility for Jones.
And after Week 1, it seems clear that Jones made the right choice in Indianapolis.
Jones had an incredible debut in Week 1, going 22-of-29 for 272 passing yards and a touchdown. He also added seven carries for 26 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Now the rest of the league is paying attention to the Colts.
One anonymous coach even suggested the marriage of Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones could be a fruitful one.
“Don’t forget what Shane Steichen did for Jalen Hurts when they were together in Philly,” one NFC coach told Russini. “This could be a match.”
But now Daniel Jones must prove himself against a much better opponent in Week 2.
Jones and the Colts take on the Broncos at 4:05PM ET on Sunday.
It will be fascinating to see how Jones performs against Denver. If he has another good game, Jones could be in the middle of a career renaissance.
Danny Dimes could officially become Indiana Jones with another big win against Denver.
