One-time Lions' budding star gets another (and his last?) shot in the NFL
During the 2021 season, there weren't many bright spots for the Detroit Lions has Dan Campbell tried to set the foundation for what has come since. One of those bright spots was cornerback Amani Oruwariye, who led the team and tied for third in the league with six interceptions.
But there were red flags in that breakthrough. Pro Football Focus graded Oruwariye as their 89th-best cornerback that season (minimum of around 250 snaps), and his coverage grade came in 83rd out of 129 qualifiers under that minimum snap criteria.
During the 2022 season, those red flags could not be hidden. Oruwariye was benched in Week 5, and eventually only played defensive snaps when injuries to the Lions' secondary forced it over the rest of the season.
Oruwariye split the 2023 season between the New York Giants and the Jacksonville Jaguars, with one game on the active roster for the Jaguars around otherwise being on the practice squad for both teams. He latched on with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, playing in seven games while making four starts for them last season (including a game against the Lions in Week 6).
Oruwariye signed with the Tennessee Titans in May, then they released him. The Titans briefly re-signed him to their practice squad in late-August, before releasing him again. He had a workout with the Indianapolis Colts in September, but they did not sign him.
Amani Oruwariye gets another (and his last?) shot in the NFL with injury-riddled team
The Baltimore Ravens are reeling at 1-3, with multiple key injuries on a struggling defense and two notable new injuries in their cornerback room (Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins). Oruwariye was among four defensive backs they had in for a workout on Wednesday, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz he was the one they signed.
Oruwariye, with 29 starts over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, once looked like a building block for the Lions' defense and a rare draft find by former general manager Bob Quinn. Now he is a certified journeyman, as he hangs on with 40 starts on his resume and a place on the so-called "emergency lists" around the league.
Maybe Oruwariye will be able to stick with the Ravens for the rest of the season. But recent history says it'll be a short-term thing, and he'll be looking for his next opportunity soon enough as he tries to keep his NFL career from coming to an end.
Daniel Jones Breaks Top-10 Greatness with Colts
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones has had a great start to his first year in the Circle City. Despite falling in a dramatic tilt against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4, his four-game sample with Shane Steichen has been unlike anything anyone expected before the season started.
Jones now sets his eyes on a golden opportunity to help the Colts return to the win column against the Las Vegas Raiders, who rank 21st in the NFL in passing yards allowed with 913. Given how well Jones has played, this is a game where he can shine.
Pro Football Focus' Nick Akridge put together his QB ranking ahead of Week 5, showing immense respect to Jones by placing him eighth overall. Jones is among names like Justin Herbert (9) and Josh Allen (7).
Below are some prominent quarterback metrics from Jones, along with his rank in the NFL for each. These numbers display how effective the former sixth-overall pick has been through four games with the Colts.
-Passing Yards | 1,078 (3rd)
-Completion Percentage | 71.9 (4th)
-Completions | 87 (tied - 9th)
-QBR | 79.1 (1st)
-Passer Rating | 103.3 (8th)
After six seasons of consistently underwhelming performances with the New York Giants, Steichen has Jones playing better than he's ever shown in his veteran career under center.
Jones' career resurgence is reminiscent of what Sam Darnold (now with the Seattle Seahawks) accomplished last year with the Minnesota Vikings. Darnold's career was nothing short of a pure dumpster fire with the hapless New York Jets franchise.
However, once Darnold was under the tutelage of a true QB whisperer like Kevin O'Connell, he found incredible rhythm. Darnold finished 2024 with 35 touchdown passes, 4,319 passing yards, a 66.2 completion percentage, and a Pro Bowl nomination.
Now, Jones is doing the same with a QB-savvy coach like Steichen and Indianapolis.
For Jones to have gone from what he was perceived as in New York, to one of the NFL's most efficient quarterback is a testament to the talent he had the entire time, and Steichen's ability to mold those attributes into a great signal-caller.
If Jones can be as consistent as he's been through the young 2025 season for the rest of it, he'll conclude as a potential Comeback Player of the Year candidate. Jones has season totals of seven all-purpose scores (four passing, three rushing) and a great ability to spread the wealth in the offense.
Jones has become a great leader for Steichen's offense and has gelled with players like Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Tyler Warren. Along with an impressive offensive line, Jones is playing comfortably, confidently, and like a winner.
Anything can happen in the NFL week-to-week, but Jones has a great matchup on paper ahead against the struggling Raiders at home. If he can get a victory while playing turnover-free and clean football, he'll regain the momentum the team lost against the Rams.
