The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the busiest teams in the NFL heading into the trade deadline and they may not be done making deals. The Colts have already traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and it appears there is at least a chance Daniel Jones could be next.
According to ESPN, the Colts received calls from “several” teams regarding Jones’ availability and they were willing to listen to any offer. That doesn’t mean Jones will ultimately be traded, but it does mean he’ll definitely be one of the biggest names to watch between now and Tuesday’s deadline.
At one point, Jones looked like he was going to be the Colts’ future quarterback. Last season, he helped the Colts get off to a 7-1 start before his year was marred by injuries. He ended up tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 13, causing him to miss the final four games of the year. Despite the injury, the Colts still decided to sign him to a two-year, $88 million contract extension in March. The deal included $50 million in guaranteed money and the Colts have already paid most of it in the form of a $44 million signing bonus.
This means that if a team acquires Jones, it would not cost much from a financial standpoint. The only thing about a potential Jones trade is that there aren’t many trade candidates. The ESPN report mentioned that the Ravens called to inquire about his availability, but Baltimore ended up make a deal for Jacoby Brissett.
Daniel Jones landing spot
With the Ravens out, that essentially leaves one team that makes sense for Jones, and that is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are off to a 6-1 start and they currently have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but that unit is essentially going to be lost right now because Minnesota has an offense that can’t move the ball.
The Vikings signed Kyler Murray in the offseason hoping he could spark the offense, but that didn’t happen. He’s started six games this season and just hasn’t been effective. The Vikings passing attack is averaging just 165.6 yards per game this year, which is the second-worst number in the NFL. Murray has also dealt with multiple injuries, including a hamstring issue that will keep him sidelined this week.
The Vikings also have Carson Wentz, who will make his second start of the season in Week 9. Wentz started Week 2 after Murray suffered a concussion and during that start, he completed just 55 percent of his passes for 143 yards and no touchdowns. However, he played well enough replacing Murray in Week 1 with three touchdown passes in a 39-22 win over the Packers.
If Wentz can lead the Vikings to a win over the Buffalo Bills 6-1 on Monday night, it could change the Vikings’ minds about making a deal for Jones, but if he struggles, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Minnesota try to make a move for a QB before the trade deadline (the Vikings also had JJ McCarthy at QB, but they traded him with the Giants at the end of September.
One reason Jones would make a lot of sense for Minnesota is because Kevin O’Connell already knows him. Jones spent the 2024 season in Minnesota and the Vikings actually wanted him back, but he ended up signing with the Colts because he felt he had a better chance of starting with them.
The Colts will certainly be a team to watch between now and Tuesday. Besides Jones, they could also trade Jonathan Taylor, but there is no guarantee that will happen.
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