SAN FRANCISCO (WISH) — Daniel Jones had some incredible moments for the Colts this past season before it ended for him with a season ending Achilles injury.
Jones is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and all the chatter on radio row in San Francisco agrees that the Colts must find a way to make sure Jones does not leave town.
“I think people are quick to forget that the Indianapolis Colts were the number one story in the NFL for two months,” NFL Network host Kyle Brandt said. “The number one story. Then it got weirder and weirder and weirder and went down the rabbit hole. I have a lot of respect for the Colts and if they want a future with Daniel Jones, I respect that as well.”
“I mean if Sam Darnold isn’t an example of what Daniel Jones is and can be like I don’t know what else is,” former Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. “It’s a great example of a guy that takes a step back to go to another team, in Sam Darnold’s situation it was in San Fran and then had the success in Minnesota. Daniel Jones, he went to Minnesota, took a step back and took two steps forward in Indy. That’s a no brainer to me.”
One of Jones’ favorite targets, Michael Pittman Jr., had plenty to say here in the Bay Area about making sure his teammate remains in Indy.
“I’m very confident that they are going to do whatever it takes and I think that is wise,” Pittman told WISH-TV Sports Director Anthony Calhoun. “Everyone loves Dan, the way that he works and the way that he shows up.”
Prior to his injury, Jones had Pittman and the Colts sitting on top of the NFL with the best scoring offense in the league. The big question among Colts fans and the front office heading into next season is how will Jones respond coming off an Achilles injury? NFL expert Dan Orlovsky is a believer in Jones.
“Huge priority,” Orlovsky said. “You watched how that offense went to a different level with him both in his individual performance and the offenses performance, with the way Shane (Steichen) wants to call plays and build their offense, the RPO centric of it, the athleticism, so it is a big deal. Obviously you want to see how healthy he is, when realistically timeframe wise, when he is going to be back to what he was this past year? Yeah, I think it’s a big priority.”
Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions with the Colts in 2025. He completed 68% of his passes, the highest mark of his career. Jones also added five rushing touchdowns.
The Colts signed Jones to a one-year, $14 million deal ahead of the 2025 season.