Daniel Jones Keeps Colts QB Job for Cowboys Game

Daniel Jones is still the guy in Indianapolis. Colts coach Shane Steichen said Monday that Jones will start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, one day after Jones was pulled in the fourth quarter of a 42-7 blowout loss in Jacksonville.

The stakes are real. The Colts are 2-6, Steichen had openly said he would "evaluate everything, every position going forward," and the backup who finished Sunday's game is Anthony Richardson Sr., the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft. Jones gets another week, but the leash looks shorter than it did a month ago.

What Happened in Jacksonville

Jones came out with 11:53 left and the Colts down 35 points. He finished 19 of 28 for 144 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Richardson took over and completed both of his passes for 8 yards.

That was the low point of a rough season. Jones is posting the worst completion rate of his career at 60.4% and the second-lowest QBR of his career at 39.5, ESPN reported Monday.

How Jones Got Here

This is not how the Colts drew it up in the spring. Indianapolis re-signed Jones to be the unquestioned starter after a career-best run to open 2025. Then he ruptured his Achilles last season, spent the offseason rehabbing and was back for Week 1.

The question now is whether he can get back to the guy who carried that early 2025 run. Steichen's answer for this week is yes. The film from Jacksonville says the margin for another day like that is close to zero, especially with a former top-five pick waiting.

Cowboys at Colts, Sunday

Dallas visits Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 10 AM PT (1 PM ET) on Fox. The Cowboys are coming off their own ugly week after an overtime loss to Arizona, so this is two teams that badly need to stop the bleeding.

For Colts fans, this is the week to see if Jones can protect the football and keep the offense on schedule. Two picks and 144 yards will not hold off the noise for long, and a strong start against Dallas is the only thing that changes the conversation.

Smacktok lean: until Jones shows the completion rate can climb, lean lower on his passing yards against Dallas. He threw for 144 on Sunday and is completing 60.4% of his throws, and the Colts have every reason to lean on a safer, shorter game plan while his job is on the line.