Colts Keep Daniel Jones as Starter, Making Support and Accountability a Shared Test

By Stacy James · HuddleUp NFL Sports Desk

Event/update date: November 2, 2026

The Indianapolis Colts will start Daniel Jones in Week 9, choosing continuity after a loss severe enough to make every position part of the conversation.

Head coach Shane Steichen announced on November 2 that Jones will remain the starter when Indianapolis hosts Dallas. The decision followed a 42-7 loss at Jacksonville that dropped the Colts to 2-6. Jones left the game in the fourth quarter after completing 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The fourth-quarter change was not presented as a benching

Steichen said the Colts turned to Anthony Richardson Sr. because of the 35-point margin, not because the team had made a permanent quarterback change. Jacksonville had also removed Trevor Lawrence by that stage of the game.

After reviewing the film, Steichen said Jones still gives Indianapolis its best chance to win. The coach also acknowledged that the quarterback has areas to improve and that the team must help him more effectively.

That distinction is important. A team can maintain its starter while demanding better performance. It can also acknowledge a quarterback’s mistakes without pretending one position produced a 35-point defeat alone.

The numbers make the decision difficult to defend with slogans

The Colts’ official review listed Jones with a 68.6 passer rating, the lowest among qualified starters. He has nine interceptions, a 60.4 percent completion rate and 5.8 yards per attempt. Those numbers describe an offense that has struggled to create efficient, explosive plays.

Jones said his responsibility is to execute better, find open receivers and put the offense in more favorable situations. Steichen pointed to the quarterback’s preparation and command while noting that the first interception against Jacksonville went through the hands of tight end Tyler Warren.

Both perspectives belong in the evaluation. A tipped pass can explain one turnover without explaining a season. Strong preparation can justify continued trust while still requiring better decisions, accuracy and production on game day.

Analysis: Retaining Jones becomes credible only if the Colts attach the decision to measurable changes. Continuity without a plan is inertia. Continuity with clearer protection, route answers, run-pass balance and defined benchmarks can give the offense a fair chance to improve.

Support cannot become an excuse

Quarterback play is never isolated. Protection affects timing. Receiver separation affects the available throw. Down-and-distance affects how aggressively a defense can attack. A struggling team must evaluate all of those pieces.

But shared responsibility should not erase individual accountability. Jones is the player with the ball on every offensive snap, and his nine interceptions matter. The coaching staff can protect him with better design while still requiring him to reduce avoidable risks and create more value when the first answer is unavailable.

Steichen is also accountable for the choice. By naming Jones early in the week, he removes some speculation and gives the offense a defined preparation path. He now must show why that clarity helps. If the same problems repeat, the evaluation cannot remain an abstract promise.

Indianapolis is also evaluating its wider direction

The Colts recently traded veteran leaders Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, moves that signaled a shift in organizational priorities. Keeping Jones for Week 9 does not necessarily define the club’s long-term quarterback plan, but it does define how Indianapolis intends to approach the next game.

Richardson remains the backup and received two pass attempts and two rushing opportunities in Jacksonville. His presence means the Colts have another option, but changing quarterbacks would not automatically repair protection, consistency or the team’s ability to finish drives.

The more productive question is what Indianapolis expects to see against Dallas. Fewer turnovers is an obvious starting point. Better early-down efficiency, more explosive completions and sustained drives would show that the offense is responding together rather than simply asking Jones to survive another evaluation.

Leadership is clarity after disappointment

A 42-7 loss can produce reactive decisions because the score makes patience look like acceptance. Steichen chose not to react at quarterback. That choice should not be mistaken for satisfaction.

The Colts have now placed responsibility in public view. Jones must improve. The players around him must execute more consistently. The coaching staff must create better conditions and judge the results honestly.

Keeping the starter is the easy part of the announcement. The leadership test begins with whether Indianapolis can turn continuity into evidence of progress.

Sources

• Indianapolis Colts: Daniel Jones remains the starter
• Reuters: Colts retain Jones for Week 9
• Indianapolis Colts: postgame evaluation after Jacksonville
• NFL: November 2 league news roundup

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