Jan. 24, 2026, 7:52 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
Who should be the Indianapolis Colts’<\/a> quarterback in 2026?<\/p>\n NFL.com analyst Nick Shook<\/a> believes that it should still be Daniel Jones. Shook recently highlighted eight free agent quarterbacks who should be re-signed in 2026, and Jones was on that list.<\/p>\n “The Colts<\/a> would be wise to sign Jones to a reasonable multi-year deal, allowing the two sides to resume their partnership at some point in 2026 and beyond.”<\/p>\n Both the Colts organization and Jones seem to agree.<\/p>\n In GM Chris Ballard’s season-ending press conference, he made it clear that he wanted Jones back<\/a>. Shane Steichen voiced a similar opinion, and Jones himself echoed similar sentiments, saying he’d\u00a0“love”<\/a>\u00a0to return.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n One of the main reasons<\/a> that the Colts are running it back in 2026 is because the organization believes that the early-season success of 2025 is repeatable — and Jones was obviously crucial to that.<\/p>\n Jones is coming off an Achilles injury, but \u00a0Ballard said he is “confident” in Jones’ ability to recover and bounce back.<\/p>\n But Shook seems less optimistic.<\/p>\n “Jones’ 2026 outlook is murky — at best — after he suffered a season-ending\u00a0Achilles tear<\/a>\u00a0in December,” Shook wrote. “GM Chris Ballard knows the pressure is on and has reason to believe Jones is the team’s long-term answer at the position. He also doesn’t have the luxury to wait for Jones to return to form.”<\/p>\n