Former Duke QB Daniel Jones Named as Surprise Trade Candidate

The Duke Blue Devils football program has started to get much better in recent years, with the school sending multiple players to the NFL.

Duke has started to build more talent, with the league taking full notice almost yearly at this point. The Blue Devils have prided themselves on this, and it has allowed the program to perform much better on the field.

One of the better players to come from Duke in recent years has been former quarterback Daniel Jones, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts. Jones was originally drafted by the New York Giants with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The career of Jones has been a weird one, with him struggling during his time with the Giants. But once he got to the Colts last year, he did find some magic, leading Indianapolis to a top record before going down with an injury.

Jones has failed to replicate that success this season, with the Colts completely underperforming this year. This has led the team to undergo a fire sale at the trade deadline, and now there is a chance that Jones could be on the move as well.

ESPN NFL analyst Adam Schefter discussed the Colts trade plans while on the Adam Schefter Podcast, with him saying that Jones could be a curveball move. Schefter didn't say that Indianapolis would trade Jones, but like any trade situation, talks are fluid.

"I know we're focused on Taylor and Downs, as we should be, and I'm not telling you that they're trading Daniel," Schefter said. "I'm just telling you sometimes it's the curveball that you don't see."

Given how poor the Colts have played this season, moving on from the former Duke star does make some sense. Indianapolis could get some future draft capital back for Jones, while also getting off his contract.

Jones has struggled this season, with the veteran throwing for 1,542 yards with five touchdowns and nine interceptions. There have been calls for Jones to be benched due to his play, but so far, the Colts have held back from making the move.

Indianapolis still believes that Jones gives the team the best chance to win games, even with the team sitting at 2-6 on the year. The Colts also don't have their first-round draft pick for the season following a trade last year with the New York Jets.

There is only one game left before the trade deadline next week, so maybe the Colts want Jones to be playing to audition for interested teams. But either way, it seems as if the former Duke quarterback could be on the move in the coming days.