On August 19, 2025, the Colts made a move that sent shockwaves through the NFL: they benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Daniel Jones.
Why take a fading veteran quarterback over the explosive athlete you drafted to be the future? Why double down on a player the Giants had already written off? Fans were furious, analysts were confused, and I’ll admit it, I didn’t see the vision either.
Six weeks later, those questions have completely vanished.
The Colts are 5-1 (a dropped TD by Adonai Mitchell from 6-0), Jones is playing the best football of his career, and Indianapolis suddenly looks like one of the AFC’s most complete teams.
He’s not a placeholder. He’s a top five quarterback leading the highest scoring Colts offense through six games since 1984, outpacing everyone from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck.
In fact, he’s an MVP candidate.
Through six games, Jones has thrown for 1,502 yards, eight touchdowns through the air, and four more on the ground, completing 71% of his passes with a 105.1 quarterback rating.
He’s had a passer rating of over 100 in five of six games, quietly becoming one of the most efficient and dependable quarterbacks in football.
Against a Cardinals defense that entered Week 6 ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring defense and elite in red zone and goal to go efficiency, Jones dissected their looks with ease.
He completed 22 of 30 passes for 212 yards, threw two touchdowns, and added another on the ground in a 31-27 win that pushed Indianapolis to 5-1.
He’s now thrown multiple touchdowns in back to back games and has become one of the league’s most efficient red zone passers. The Colts have converted 10 straight red zone possessions into touchdowns, a mark tied for the best in football.
The Quarterback the Colts Needed
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
Anthony Richardson was supposed to be the future. The athlete. The upside play. The highlight reel.
But this version of the Colts didn’t need potential, they needed precision. They needed a quarterback who could see defenses, not just outrun them. Jones has become that quarterback, and it’s changed everything.
Steichen has built an offense that marries Jones’s football IQ with the weapons around him: Jonathan Taylor’s ground presence, Josh Downs’ short area quickness, Adonai Mitchell’s vertical ability. Every piece fits now because the man under center ties it all together.
Players trust him because he’s prepared for every look, every coverage, every blitz. As wideout Alec Pierce put it: “He kind of gives us every look… he breaks it all down. He’s all over it.”
It’s Time to Give Credit Where It’s Due
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
The easy narrative would’ve been that Daniel Jones’ Giants career defined him. That his best football was behind him. That the Colts’ decision to start him over Richardson was a miscalculation born of panic.
Instead, Jones is proving it was foresight. Through six games, Daniel Jones is doing more than just reviving his career… He’s reshaping the entire identity of the Colts.
So yeah, Colts fans, it’s time to admit it: You owe Daniel Jones an apology.
Patrick Mahomes May Face Fine for Taunting Play Against Lions Despite No Flag
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes could be in line for some NFL punishment for an incident in the team’s game against the Detroit Lions.
With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Mahomes kept the ball on an option play near the goalline and ran in for a touchdown. As he crossed the plane, many watching believed that Chiefs quarterback taunted Lions defensive back Brian Branch — which was not flagged for a penalty during the play, but could still result in punishment for Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes Faces Scrutiny Over Play
Many fans and commentators seized on the play quickly, questioning why Mahomes did not face a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“Patrick Mahomes is the only player in the NFL who can taunt defenders. It’s in the NFL Rulebook,” one fan noted in a post on X.
Others saw a double standard in how the league used Mahomes’ actions toward Branch to promote the play, while other players may have been flagged for a penalty for those actions.
As Teddy Ricketson of The Sporting News noted, the NFL informed teams before the season that it would be cracking down on taunting penalties.
“The league has cracked down on taunting in recent years, with the 2025 changes being perhaps the most notable,” Ricketson wrote. “The NFL sent out memos to its officials that they were going to be trained on cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct, with a particular attention to taunting.”
As Ricketson added, one of the examples of taunting from the NFL was one player flexing toward an opponent after making a play — which is what Mahomes appeared to do during Sunday’s game against the Lions.
While Mahomes escaped a flag on the play, he could still face a fine when the league announces them next Saturday. All games are reviewed during the week, and infractions that aren’t flagged during the week can still draw fines.
That would cost him five figures.
“The first offense of a player taunting and getting flagged for it will earn them an $11,593 fine, per the NFL’s website,” Ricketson noted. “Their second offense will see the fine increased to $17,389.”
Mahomes has been fined in the past, including some hefty ones. He was docked $50,000 in 2023 for “verbally abusing” referees in a loss to the Buffalo Bills. He faced another fine of more than $14,000 for a “violent gesture” against the Bills in a regular-season game the following year.
There have been some other clear taunts this season that did not result in flags or fines. Bills quarterback Josh Allen appeared to make a gun motion in a win over the Miami Dolphins this season — a banned celebration that is supposed to draw a penalty and fine — but Allen escaped without any punishment.
Patrick Mahomes Could Be Involved in Another Fine
Mahomes may have also been at the receiving end of a play that will draw scrutiny from the NFL. Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson knocked Mahomes down on a late hit during the fourth quarter, drawing a penalty that gave the Chiefs a free first down.
Mahomes appeared angered after the play, saying something toward the star Lions edge rusher.
