During the previous six seasons, the New York Giants were hoping that Daniel Jones would become their next legitimate franchise quarterback and a worthy successor to Eli Manning. But after he had a solid rookie year, he was unable to match, let alone exceed, the level of production he attained in his first year.
Midway through last season, the Giants released Jones, and it looked like he was down to his last life in the NFL. The Indianapolis Colts signed him in March and made him their starter, and what he’s done this season has blown people’s minds.
He has completed 69.6 percent of his pass attempts and thrown 14 touchdown passes, and he has logged a league-high 2,404 passing yards. With Jones looking born again, the Colts have stunned the football world by getting out to a 7-2 record, which puts them in first place in the AFC South and is the second-best record in the conference behind only the Denver Broncos.
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Some may still not be fully sold on Jones, who is 28 years of age, being Indianapolis’ QB1 beyond this season. But Manning went on “Up & Adams” and said that Jones deserves a contract extension.
“Just excited for Daniel,” Manning said. “No one deserves it more, has worked harder and he did it from day one. … He was with me in that quarterback room every single day, every single time. It was fun because he was a sponge. He wanted to learn. He asked questions. You saw the commitment. He wanted to do the right things all the time. Very coachable.”
All of a sudden, the Colts, who haven’t reached double-digit wins since 2020, appear to have a team that can make some serious noise in the playoffs, if not reach the Super Bowl. They have the NFL’s top scoring offense, and they also lead everyone in first downs and fourth-down conversion rate.
They have solid pass-catchers in wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce and tight end Tyler Warren, while running back Jonathan Taylor is leading the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Their run defense has been rock solid, and they could be about to become even better on that side of the football.
Indianapolis acquired cornerback Sauce Gardner, who made the Pro Bowl twice in his first three seasons, from the New York Jets just prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline. While Gardner may not be quite the same player he was when he had a league-high 20 passes defended as a rookie in 2022, he should help strengthen the team’s problematic secondary.
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As far as Jones’ improved play is concerned, one has to wonder if it is more a statement on how poorly the Giants developed him or the fact that he has more weapons around him now than he had when he was in New York prior to this season.
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