On August 19, 2025, the Colts made a move that sent shockwaves through the NFL: they benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Daniel Jones.
Why take a fading veteran quarterback over the explosive athlete you drafted to be the future? Why double down on a player the Giants had already written off? Fans were furious, analysts were confused, and I’ll admit it, I didn’t see the vision either.
Six weeks later, those questions have completely vanished.
The Colts are 5-1 (a dropped TD by Adonai Mitchell from 6-0), Jones is playing the best football of his career, and Indianapolis suddenly looks like one of the AFC’s most complete teams.
He’s not a placeholder. He’s a top five quarterback leading the highest scoring Colts offense through six games since 1984, outpacing everyone from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck.
In fact, he’s an MVP candidate.
Through six games, Jones has thrown for 1,502 yards, eight touchdowns through the air, and four more on the ground, completing 71% of his passes with a 105.1 quarterback rating.
He’s had a passer rating of over 100 in five of six games, quietly becoming one of the most efficient and dependable quarterbacks in football.
Against a Cardinals defense that entered Week 6 ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and elite in red zone and goal to go efficiency, Jones dissected their looks with ease.
He completed 22 of 30 passes for 212 yards, threw two touchdowns, and added another on the ground in a 31-27 win that pushed Indianapolis to 5-1.
He’s now thrown multiple touchdowns in back to back games and has become one of the league’s most efficient red zone passers. The Colts have converted 10 straight red zone possessions into touchdowns, a mark tied for the best in football.
The Quarterback the Colts Needed
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
Anthony Richardson was supposed to be the future. The athlete. The upside play. The highlight reel.
But this version of the Colts didn’t need potential, they needed precision. They needed a quarterback who could see defenses, not just outrun them. Jones has become that quarterback, and it’s changed everything.
Steichen has built an offense that marries Jones’s football IQ with the weapons around him: Jonathan Taylor’s ground presence, Josh Downs’ short area quickness, Adonai Mitchell’s vertical ability. Every piece fits now because the man under center ties it all together.
Players trust him because he’s prepared for every look, every coverage, every blitz. As wideout Alec Pierce put it: “He kind of gives us every look… he breaks it all down. He’s all over it.”
It’s Time to Give Credit Where It’s Due
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
The easy narrative would’ve been that Daniel Jones’ Giants career defined him. That his best football was behind him. That the Colts’ decision to start him over Richardson was a miscalculation born of panic.
Instead, Jones is proving it was foresight. Through six games, Daniel Jones is doing more than just reviving his career… He’s reshaping the entire identity of the Colts.
So yeah, Colts fans, it’s time to admit it: You owe Daniel Jones an apology.
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