The Indianapolis Colts are experiencing a degree of success to start their season that has eluded them for over 15 years.
In the midst of their first 3-0 start since 2009, fans are already conjuring images of winning the AFC South and making noise in the playoffs. New quarterback Daniel Jones and head coach Shane Steichen look like a perfect pairing, and the defense looks better than it has in quite some time. Vibes are high.
Today is a good time to open the doors back up for a new edition of "Colts Qs," which you may remember from my days with Horseshoe Huddle, where readers get all their questions answered by someone on the ground every day observing the team.
Let's get to it!
Some questions have been edited for clarity.
"How are the players doing that left with injuries?" -- Freddie Ricketts, Facebook
Wide receiver Alec Pierce is in the league's concussion protocol, and cornerback Kenny Moore II is dealing with a calf injury.
Pierce must clear the protocol, which includes increasing his practice load all the way up through a full practice with contact before being cleared by an independent neurologist. However, Pierce has missed two games in his career already with concussions; one in 2022 and another late last year. I asked Colts head coach Shane Steichen about that this week: “We really rely on our trainers and our doctors during that process, and obviously the player as well. So, we take that all into account as we go through those concussions.”
As for Moore, the Colts signed defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's former longtime Cincinnati Bengals slot corner Mike Hilton to the practice squad this week, which is a good indicator of Moore's status. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Moore should be out for a couple of weeks. Steichen declined to provide a timeline for Moore, but did acknowledge that the Injured Reserve is not currently an option.
"How long does Daniel Jones have to keep performing at this level before he forces the Colts to give him a multi-year deal?" -- ImaginEric, Bluesky
I've looked around and have found it difficult to verify the contract rules. However, I believe the earliest the Colts can sign Jones to a new deal is after their final regular-season game.
Now, to address the true spirit of your question, if Jones keeps up this level of play and it's having a direct influence on the Colts' success, you have to re-sign him. I think he would have to play low-level football for several weeks in order for the Colts to move on. However, if the Colts make the playoffs and it keeps Steichen and Chris Ballard in their jobs, I think they bring Jones back. If things go south and ownership decides to clean house, then we may see the Colts go in a different direction.
"Daniel Jones would be the 2nd best Colts QB ever if he won a Super Bowl this year." -- Big O, X/Twitter
That's a really intriguing argument. We're obviously putting the cart before the horse here, but I'll take the journey with you. If Jones keeps up this level of play, leads the Colts to the playoffs, and ultimately becomes the only other Indy-era Colts QB with a Super Bowl other than Peyton Manning, Jones gets in the conversation. I don't want that to erase everything Andrew Luck did, though. I am fairly confident the Colts would have at least been to a Super Bowl had Luck's career not been plagued by injuries.
If Jones keeps up this level of play and wins the Super Bowl this year, I'd slot him behind only Manning, Johnny Unitas, and Luck. If Jones then follows it up with another big, validating year in 2026, you can probably scooch him ahead of Luck.
"(Jones) on the (New York Giants) sometimes looked for contact when games got out of hand. Has Steichen ever addressed being mindful of that, as the QB is the most important position?" -- J Aduna, X/Twitter
I actually asked Steichen about that after the Week 1 game because Jones left himself open for some big contact: “I think, yeah, we've had those conversations. We have those conversations in the QB room with all those guys, and just being smart, you know what I mean? In those situations, he had some scrambles. He got out of bounds. He had the one on third down there – he made the guy miss, and then he didn't see the other guy coming, took a shot there, but bounced up. But yeah, those are conversations that we definitely have.”
Jones took another couple of big hits against the Tennessee Titans, so maybe they need to reiterate to Jones to take care of himself.
"What about our offensive line specifically has made our running game so lethal so far this season?" -- Tim J.A. Wells, Facebook
Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, and Braden Smith have always been great in the run game, but Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves have been outstanding as well. The execution from the players is one thing, but the ability of Jones and Bortolini to make changes at the line, and for Steichen to make the most effective play-calls, is invaluable. It's been a perfect marriage of coaching and execution so far. It doesn't hurt to have a guy like Jonathan Taylor helping make everyone look good as well. This whole thing looks different if it's Trey Sermon running behind the line versus Taylor.
"What are the Colts doing to improve their red zone woes?" -- JacobCN, X/Twitter
I think they're still figuring that out. They clearly want to be a power run team the closer they get to the goal line, but teams know that and are countering it effectively. I think once the Colts get Josh Downs and Tyler Warren more involved in the red zone, we'll start to see better efficiency.
"I know you can make pretty much any money work short-term in the NFL, but how difficult would it be for the Colts to keep both Jones and Pierce next offseason? Both currently look like must keeps (long way to go obviously)" -- Philip Schatz, Twitter/X
The Colts have very little guaranteed money on the books next offseason, so you could see a large amount of cap space opened up, which would help sign both. Jones would obviously be the priority since he's the quarterback. Whether the Colts re-sign Pierce comes down to two things for me: how gaudy will other teams' offers be for Pierce, and how does AD Mitchell's development look? If the Colts get outpriced for Pierce like they did with Will Fries and Dayo Odeyingbo this offseason, and Mitchell looks like he's trending up, the Colts may let him walk.
"Will the Colts maintain this momentum throughout the season, or will the injury bug make an appearance?" -- Big Smooth, X/Twitter
We obviously can't predict who and when injuries will hit, but at this rate, I do think the Colts look legit. Looking at the rest of the schedule, I don't think a record of 11-6 or so and an AFC South title is out of the question. The Colts are showing strength in some areas that truly matter, like play-calling, quarterback, offensive line, and the run game. Issues with the pass rush against teams with good protection could become a real problem, though.
"Are we good or do the teams we played against just suck?" -- Ryan Espinosa, Facebook
I think the Miami Dolphins and Titans are a pair of teams that will truly struggle this year, so to that point, yes, the Colts have a couple of easy wins. However, good teams beat bad teams like the Colts did. The average margin of victory in those two wins is 23 points! The Broncos game was a good measuring stick because they actually are a good team, despite their 1-2 record. This Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams will be a true test, however. I think we're all eager to see how it goes.
"Now that we are 3 games in, how have your questions with the team changed or been answered, and what new questions do you have, if any?" -- Echo W4rrior, X/Twitter
My biggest questions going in were about Daniel Jones, the right side of the offensive line, and the run defense. So far, so great for Jones and the offensive line (Matt Goncalves is playing out of his mind), but I do still have reservations about the run defense. The Colts are giving up 4.8 yards per carry and haven't really faced a team yet that commits to the run game.
"Serious inquiry: When is Blue going to be QB?" -- Victoria Grace Miller, Facebook
Hey, he is pretty deadly in that Non Stop Toss game where he throws footballs into a barrel from the 400 section of Lucas Oil Stadium!
"Is this real life?" -- Bene Yescersit, Bluesky
Your team is 3-0, so enjoy every moment! Even if it doesn't last, soak it in while you can, because the Colts haven't looked this good in years.
For what it's worth, I do think this is a legitimate playoff team. They're going to have some ugly weeks along the way because this rate of play likely isn't sustainable, but I do think they're the best team in the division.
You guys had so many questions (thank you!) that I am breaking this week's edition up into two pieces, with this one primarily focusing on the offense. Keep an eye out for part two, coming soon!
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.