QB Daniel Jones agrees to deal with Colts, will compete with Anthony Richardson

Daniel Jones has a new home and Anthony Richardson will have some competition.

The veteran quarterback has agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday. The deal reportedly includes $13.15 million in guaranteed money and could be worth up to $17 million. The Minnesota Vikings made a strong push to try and bring back Jones, according to Schultz.

Jones, who’ll turn 28 in May, was released by the New York Giants in November before latching onto the Vikings’ practice squad late in the year. That deal allowed Jones to sit behind Sam Darnold during his breakout year while getting the chance to learn from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who’s widely regarded as one of the top offensive coaches in the league.

Now, Jones will get the chance to compete for the starting quarterback job with the Colts. Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard told reporters at the combine that the team planned to bring a veteran quarterback to compete with Richardson for the starting job in 2025.

“It’s got to be the right guy to create real competition, but we want to create real competition,” Ballard said. “I think it’s good for the team. I think it’s good for Anthony. We drafted Anthony high knowing it was going to take some time. We knew there was going to be some hiccups along the way. I know we all want a finished product right now. I do, you do, fans do, we all do. But I think as he continues to progress in his young career, us adding competition I think will help up everybody’s game.”

Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has mostly struggled to this point in his NFL career. His rookie season was cut short after four games due to a shoulder injury. Last season, he threw for 1,814 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions to go with a 61.6 passer rating in 11 games. He also rushed for 499 yards and six touchdowns.

Jones has had a couple of solid seasons in the past, notably helping the Giants reach the playoffs in 2022. But after that breakout season, he’s largely struggled. He suffered an ACL tear in 2023 that ended his season after six games. He threw for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 79.4 passer rating in 10 games with the Giants last season.

As New York went 2-8 in the 10 games Jones started in 2024, the Giants opted to bench him in November. Jones requested to be released right after and was granted that wish.

Jones’ signing with the Colts will also pave the way for J.J. McCarthy to become the Vikings’ starting quarterback in 2025. Sam Darnold, who was the Vikings’ starting quarterback last season, agreed to a three-year deal with the Seahawks on Monday. The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he missed the entire regular season due to a meniscus tear.

Jones was ranked 91st in FOX Sports’ top 100 free agents available list, placing fifth among all quarterbacks.

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