One major thing that Indianapolis Colts teammates appreciate about quarterback Daniel Jones is his toughness.
The Indianapolis Colts got off to a dream start to the 2025 season.
After catching ample flak last offseason for signing former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to a one-year deal to compete with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting quarterback role, the Colts were a common punchline.
Richardson had spent more time injured than on the field in his first two years, and besides his own injury woes, Jones' poor play knocked him out of New York.
However, Jones proved to be the perfect signal-caller for head coach Shane Steichen's offense, as the Colts' offense began at a historic pace through the first half of the season en route to an 8-2 start and the top spot in the entire NFL. However, disaster struck, as the Colts fell on a seven-game losing streak to end the year, missing the playoffs after being a near certainty for them at midseason.
The most obvious reason for the Colts' demise was Jones' injuries. He returned from the Week 11 bye with a lower leg injury that was quickly found to be a fractured left fibula. He started three games with the injury, with his mobility clearly compromised.
Jones began to perform better each week, as Steichen opened up the playbook more and more, but then the final blow came, as Jones' right Achilles gave way in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the rain. The veteran quarterback's resurgent season was over.
Despite the injuries, the Colts are confident that they want to re-sign Jones this offseason to build off of what they started. Jones' teammates are bullish on him as well.
"Everybody loves Dan," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. told Wish-TV's Anthony Calhoun this week, leading up to the Super Bowl. "The way that he works, the way that he shows up. I mean, I don't know a lot of guys who can play through a broken leg. And it wasn't just — well, I might be saying too much — it was really broken. Like, it wasn't nothing light. I seen those scans, and I'm like, 'Oh, (expletive)!' So, he's a tough guy."
Pittman is far from the first teammate to heap praise on Jones for the way that he carries himself and for his work ethic. Earlier this season, former Giants teammate and current Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was asked about the hot start that Jones and the Colts got off to.
"Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles and myself, I don't want anyone else to perform at a high level besides Daniel Jones," Barkley said. "I'm a big believer in anything. It might not happen in football, but the way he carries himself and the way that he works and the way that he competes -- it's gonna show at some point. Happy that's starting to show right now."
Jones was in the midst of a career-best season in 2025 in his first campaign with the Colts. His win percentage (61.5%), completion percentage (68.0%), passing yards per attempt (8.1), passing yards per game (238.5), passer rating (100.2), and QBR (63.1) were all single-season career bests. He was also on pace to set new marks in completions, pass attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passing first downs.
Jones, Steichen, and general manager Chris Ballard have all expressed interest in Jones continuing his time in Indianapolis.
NFL free agency officially opens when the new league year begins at 4:00 p.m. ET on Wed., March 11.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.