Colts' Shane Steichen Will 'Evaluate Everything,' Including Daniel Jones, After 42-7 Loss
A week after saying he hadn't thought about a quarterback change, Indianapolis' coach left the door open following a blowout in Jacksonville
Daniel Jones' job is no longer safe. After the Colts were blown out 42-7 by the Jaguars on Sunday, Shane Steichen was asked whether Jones will stay his starting quarterback and wouldn't commit. "I'm going to evaluate everything, every position going forward," he said.
It's a clear shift. A week ago, after a loss in Minnesota, Steichen said he hadn't thought about a quarterback change, and he told reporters Jones "is our starting quarterback unless I let you guys know differently," ESPN's Stephen Holder noted. Sunday was the first time he left any question about Jones' status.
#Colts HC Shane Steichen on the loss: “Flat out wasn’t good enough. Got out-played, got out-coached in all three phases. We got a lot to fix. I’ve been saying that for a while. …” On Daniel Jones as QB1: “I’m gonna evaluate everything. Every position going forward.”View on X →
James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid): #Colts HC Shane Steichen on the loss: “Flat out wasn’t good enough. Got out-played, got out-coached in all three phases. We got a lot to fix. I’ve been saying that for a while. …” On Daniel Jones as QB1: “I’m gonna evaluate everything. Every position going forward.”
Jones went 19-of-28 for 144 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before he was pulled with 11:53 left and the Colts down 35. Anthony Richardson Sr. finished the game and completed both of his passes for 8 yards. On the season, Jones is completing a career-worst 60.4% of his passes, and his 39.5 QBR is the second-lowest of his career. He's under contract for next year, but the guarantees are structured so Indianapolis could get out of the deal.
The loss caps a rough stretch for the organization. The Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard and traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner in the past two weeks, and Jonathan Taylor, who could be traded before the deadline, had just eight carries.
Indianapolis is 2-6 and hosts the Cowboys on Nov. 8, so Steichen's decision on Jones should come this week.