Colts Tell Daniel Jones He Won't Be Traded Before the Deadline
Indianapolis listened to calls on its quarterback but never intended to move him, even as the 2-7 Colts sell off veterans
Daniel Jones isn't going anywhere. The Colts told their quarterback on Saturday that they won't trade him before Tuesday's deadline, Tom Pelissero reported.
The Colts informed QB Daniel Jones on Saturday they’re not trading him by Tuesday’s deadline, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports. Teams called and the Colts listened. But they never had any intention of moving him. Despite speculation, Jones is staying in Indy.View on X →
Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero): The Colts informed QB Daniel Jones on Saturday they’re not trading him by Tuesday’s deadline, sources tell @ringer @netflixsports. Teams called and the Colts listened. But they never had any intention of moving him. Despite speculation, Jones is staying in Indy.
Teams called and Indianapolis listened, Pelissero said, but the Colts never intended to move him. His contract makes keeping him workable beyond this season, too. Jones is due $38 million in 2027, with only about $10.5 million of that guaranteed for injury until March, which Pelissero described as mid-tier quarterback money that gives the next general manager options as the rebuild begins.
That's the backdrop. The Colts are 2-7 after Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Cowboys and have already been selling, trading Quenton Nelson to Seattle and DeForest Buckner to San Francisco. Jonathan Taylor used his postgame press conference Sunday to say goodbye to the fans in case it was his last game in Indianapolis.
Jones has struggled this season, completing 60.3% of his passes for 1,722 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Coach Shane Steichen kept him as the starter heading into the Cowboys game after saying he'd evaluate everything at the position.
Keeping Jones gives Indianapolis a veteran starter for the rest of the year and a manageable decision in the spring, rather than a quarterback vacuum in the middle of a teardown. The Colts host the Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 15.