Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen opened the door to changes across his lineup, including at quarterback, after Sunday's 42-7 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Asked whether Daniel Jones would keep the starting job, Steichen said he would review every position, a departure from his firm public support for Jones following earlier losses.
Jones completed 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions. He was removed with 11:53 left and Indianapolis trailing by 35 points. Anthony Richardson Sr., whom the Colts selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, took over and completed both of his attempts for a total of 8 yards.
Steichen had previously defended Jones even after performances worse than Sunday's outing. Following the loss at Minnesota the previous week, he told reporters that Jones remained the starter unless he announced otherwise. His response in Jacksonville introduced uncertainty for the first time. "I'm going to evaluate everything, every position going forward," Steichen said.
The Colts re-signed Jones in the spring with the expectation that he would be their undisputed starter, following a career-best stretch at the beginning of 2025. A ruptured Achilles ended his season, and he spent the offseason rehabilitating before returning in Week 1. This season, his QBR of 39.5 is the second-lowest of his career, while his completion percentage of 60.4% is his lowest. His contract covers next season, although its guarantee structure gives Indianapolis a way to move on if it chooses.
The quarterback uncertainty comes amid substantial organizational changes. Indianapolis has fired general manager Chris Ballard and traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner in the past two weeks. Running back Jonathan Taylor's future has also drawn widespread speculation ahead of the approaching trade deadline. Jones said the priority was to concentrate on what the team could address immediately and work toward daily improvement.
Taylor played against Jacksonville but received only eight carries, his lowest total in a game since Oct. 15, 2023. Steichen attributed the limited workload to the lopsided score and said the team had not set a carry limit. Backup Seth McGowan nevertheless appeared to rotate into the game more frequently than usual during the first half, before Jacksonville's lead became overwhelming.
Taylor took responsibility for his contribution to the defeat, saying he wished he had done more. "My performance was nowhere near up to par," he said, including himself in the team's failure as Indianapolis faced questions about both its immediate lineup and its longer-term direction.
