Daniel Jones has stunned everyone by landing on his feet smoothly after the New York Giants cut him last year following multiple disappointing seasons. After the Minnesota Vikings passed on him, the Indianapolis Colts stepped in, wasting no time, signing him on to compete with Anthony Richardson.
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The Duke alum now has a chance to contend for the QB1 spot in Indianapolis — and they’re paying him $14 million a year too. To be precise, Jones signed a one-year, $14,000,000 contract, including a $6,000,000 signing bonus, and $13.15 million guaranteed money.
However, not everyone thinks he is worth it. Rob Gronkowski couldn’t fathom why Indy would shell out this kind of money for a backup. That said, Gronk also realizes that Danny Dimes will give Richardson competition, though he feels it would not serve any good purpose to the team.
Gronkowski pointed out that since both QBs fared poorly last season, the Colts would alternate between them throughout the upcoming campaign. This could give the impression that they have two QBs battling and making things competitive when in reality they don’t have even one competent starter. The offense lacks an identity when this happens.
“I think they overpaid a little bit at this position and it’s the Colts signing Daniel Jones to a one-year $14 million deal. You got Richardson vs. Jones. It’s going to be a QB battle in Indy,” said Gronkowski on the Dudes on Dudes podcast.
“If Daniel Jones does beat out Richardson, then it’s a fair deal, but if they brought him in to be a backup, I think like a $5 to $6 to $7 million deal would have been more efficient,” he added.
In his final year with the Giants before they released him, Jones played 10 games and was 2-8 for the season. He threw for 2070 yards, throwing 8 TD passes and turned the ball over 9 times. He also rushed for 265 yards and added two more scores on the ground.
Richardson played 11 games last year, throwing for merely 1814 yards, 8 TDs, and turned the ball over 16 times. However, he did rush for nearly 500 yards and added six rushing TDs.
Jones had a QBR of 47.8, while Richardson had a rating of 47.7, which is the lowest among the starting QBs. The passing numbers don’t separate them much either.
But the Colts had a better team overall, with a much better offensive line and a much better run game than the Giants. And, when it comes to the run game, Richardson is a much better option. However, Jones is a better passer.
Both QBs do give the option to execute RPOs. And Jones, with a better O-Line, could perform better in the coming season.
While Gronk expects competition in the Colts QB room, Julian Edelman sees the situation differently.
Edelman believes Jones’ entry is the “last call” for Richardson
Jules sees this as a wake-up call for Richardson — it’s time to prove himself or risk losing his future in Indianapolis. Edelman believes Richardson still has a shot with the Colts, but only if he can beat Jones for the QB1 spot.
If the former Giant wins the job, Richardson’s time in Indy could be over, with the former holding the position until the team finds another franchise quarterback.
Edelman also defended Jones’ $14 million salary, arguing that he deserves more than a typical backup due to his playoff win — something many backups, like Mac Jones and Josh Dobbs, lack.
He also praised the former Giants QB for handling himself professionally despite being vilified by the New York media. According to Edelman, Jones is likely to see significant playing time next season, which further justifies his salary.
“This is a last call for Richardson. Now you listed off the names of guys that are backups, Mac Jones two-year for $7 million, this that, and the other,” said Edelman.
“Daniel Jones has a playoff win. He looks the part in shorts. I do understand the $14 million. That’s a going rate for a QB that is going to play. He was a starting QB for three years and he got a second contract with a team,” he added.
Overall, Jules sees the Colts’ decision to bring in Jones as a smart move, ensuring a competitive quarterback room. However, he doesn’t expect a dual-QB system like last season’s experiment with Richardson and Flacco.
Only one will start, and if it’s Jones, the Gators alum could be on his way out of Indy.
