Feb. 10, 2026, 12:12 p.m. ET
It seems to be a given at this point that Daniel Jones will be back with the Indianapolis Colts in 2026 and likely beyond.
The two sides have made it known that is what they would like to happen, and Tom Pelissero reported recently that contract talks could begin soon.
However, assuming things play out that way, could the Colts still make another veteran addition at quarterback this offseason? ESPN’s Ben Solak brought up that idea.
“Assuming the Colts sign Daniel Jones, I could still see them looking for a veteran option to start over Riley Leonard while Jones slowly comes back from the Achilles injury,” Solak wrote. “(No, not Philip Rivers. That’s a little too veteran.) This seems like the right team for Marcus Mariota or Joe Flacco.”
I get the logic behind this, and things can change, but Jones said that he expects to be “ready to go” by training camp. That, of course, would reduce the need for the Colts to have a veteran backup ready to go.
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My guess is that the team also feels good about what they saw from Riley Leonard late last season to step in as a capable backup if needed.
All that said, the other part of this equation is that means moving on from Anthony Richardson — another topic that Solak discussed. There are reasons why this makes sense, but we still have to see the Colts do it first.
To bolster competition and depth behind the starter, bringing in another quarterback this offseason could be on Chris Ballard’s radar. But I don’t know that he prioritizes signing a veteran in free agency.