Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard has received some criticism from members of the NFL community after he retained Daniel Jones by using the transition tag on the quarterback before the Colts and Jones agreed to a two-year, $88M deal that could be worth up to $100M.

While speaking with reporters on Sunday, Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon suggested that Jones’ working relationship with head coach Shane Steichen is a big reason the club didn’t want to make a change at the sport’s most important position this offseason. 

Shane Steichen has big belief in Daniel Jones

“That chemistry that a quarterback needs to have with their head coach,” Irsay-Gordon said about Jones’ fit with the Colts, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “I don’t want to name any names, but there are situations where your head coach doesn’t believe in your quarterback, I mean, you’re kind of screwed. I think Shane and Daniel really align.” 

Jones signed a one-year deal to join the Colts last offseason, and he then went 8-2 across his first 10 starts before he was slowed by a reported fibula injury in Week 12. He later suffered a torn Achilles on Dec. 7, 2025, but he is aiming to be back in the lineup for Indianapolis’ regular-season opener this coming September. 

“The quarterback is the CEO of our football team, basically,” Irsay-Gordon continued. “I think it also helps our team to have an identity. It helps the coaches and people like Shane know, this is what we can do.”

Why the Colts didn’t grab a different quarterback in free agency

The Colts could have explored signing a temporary starting signal-caller such as Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa. However, it sounds like members of the Indianapolis locker room were behind the decision to keep Jones atop the depth chart. 

“The rest of the team wanted Daniel back, too,” Irsay-Gordon added. “I think that’s really important to listen to what the team is saying, too, because they know everything. People can laugh, but the players know, and I think their input is important.”

Irsay-Gordon insisted that she is excited for Jones to “go out there and prove what he wants to prove” later this year. If Jones either fails to reclaim his best form or goes down with another noteworthy setback, Ballard and Steichen could both find themselves looking for new jobs come January 2027.