The Daniel Jones era of the New York Giants was forgettable, to say the least. Even though he showed flashes of promise at times and had Saquon Barkley coming out of the backfield, the Giants never got going, but now he’s begun turning things around while starting fresh with the Indianapolis Colts.
Although many believe Anthony Richardson would be the starter after the team signed Jones during the offseason, the veteran won the starting job in training camp, which has shown to be the right move for the Colts.
Daniel Jones is Having a Career Resurgence with Colts
Two weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the Colts are sporting a 2-0 record following two impressive performances against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos. Jones has been much better than expected with his new squad, throwing for 588 yards, five total touchdowns (three rushing) and zero interceptions.
Jones has been outstanding in the early stages of the 2025 campaign, catching the attention of his former teammate, Barkley, who has also experienced a career resurgence while helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl title last season. Barkley opened up about what it means to him to see his former Giants teammate and friend have success with the Colts.
“I’m excited,” Barkley said of his former teammate’s performance. “Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles and myself, I want no one else to perform at a high level besides Daniel Jones. The fact he’s off to a hot start, I’ve said, we both know it’s the beginning of the season, and it’s only Week 2, got to keep going.”
“Following up with him throughout camp and battling with AR (Anthony Richardson) over there, I was super excited for him to win that starting job and to go out there now and play at a high level and get to show people the player that I know and the person that I know.”
Clearly, Barkley has a lot of respect for Jones and is actively rooting for him. Jones has the ideal opportunity to resurrect his career in Indianapolis and become the team’s starter for years to come while helping the struggling franchise return to form as a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.
“The way he carries himself and the way he works and the way that he competes, it’s going to show at some point, and I’m happy it’s starting to show right now,” Barkley said of Jones.
Jones and the Colts will try to make it three straight wins on Sunday, as they will go on the road for the first time, taking on No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans, who are 0-2 coming into this matchup.
Colts Might be a Real Threat in the AFC
If Jones can keep playing at a high level while not turning the ball over, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Colts are a playoff team in the AFC this season. Jones has the benefit of having one of the best running backs in the league coming out of the backfield in Jonathan Taylor, while also having an up-and-coming rookie tight end in Tyler Warren, who has been impressive thus far.
Outside of a few potentially tough matchups down the road against some AFC West heavyweights, including the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis will benefit from a relatively easy schedule, which could result in the team being in the running to come out on top in the AFC South.
