Daniel Jones Is 'Doing a Hell of a Job' With Colts, Shane Steichen Says

Quarterback Daniel Jones has impressed Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen as he traverses his first year with the franchise.

“Very pleased with what we got right now. He’s been doing a hell of a job,” Steichen told reporters at mandatory minicamp, per a team transcript (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk).

“Really smart football player. Learned the offense very quickly, making really good decisions out there through OTAs. Obviously, want to carry that over to training camp, but he’s done a really good job. Great command in the huddle. Ultimate pro.

“[H]e’s a veteran player,” Steichen also remarked. “Obviously, like I said, very intelligent. He works at it, grinds at it. So not surprised on how he’s picked up the offense. Obviously, those meetings we have in the quarterback room with those guys — the conversations that we have, they’ve been really good. So been very pleased with him.”

Jones signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Colts last year, per Over the Cap. He's trying to author a career renaissance after his six-season stint with the New York Giants ended with a midseason release last year.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft has a chance to do just that in Indianapolis, where QB1 in Week 1 will be Jones or Anthony Richardson, a super-talented prospect who unfortunately has been beset by injuries and inconsistency during his two years in the league after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023.

Unfortunately, Richardson is currently out with an aggravation of the AC joint in his right (throwing) shoulder. He suffered a sprain on that same AC joint in 2023 and elected surgery that ended his rookie season after just four games.

Per Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, Steichen said he expected Richardson back at some point during training camp but was unsure if he'd return when it began on July 24. Therefore, Jones is going to get more looks.

“He’s going to have a lot of reps going forward,” Steichen said. “We’ll see how training camp plays out.”

The Colts' season begins Sunday, Sept. 7, when Indianapolis hosts the Miami Dolphins. It's far too early to tell who will be starting at quarterback, but at the moment, one can guess Jones has the upper hand so far, with Steichen's comments showcasing his approval of the ex-Duke signal-caller's work.