The New York Giants were heavily criticized when they moved on from star running back Saquon Barkley in the summer of 2024, especially when he went on to sign with the divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles. When quarterback Daniel Jones was cut later in the year, the decision was much more justifiable.
It was Jones, after all, who requested to be released after he was benched in favor of Tommy DeVito in November. And the Giants were happy to oblige after Jones posted a 3-13 record in 16 starts across 2023 and 2024.
All told, in his six seasons in New York, Jones had a winning record only once, ultimately going 24-44-1 after he was taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
But entering Week 4 of the 2025 season, it’s possible the Giants are regretting their decision.
As New York makes a desperate quarterback switch to revive its winless season, Jones is playing the best football of his career and is an early-season MVP candidate for the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.
Through three games, Jones is completing 71.6% of his passes and averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, and he has a passer rating of 111.7, all of which would be career bests.
Jones is also tied for fourth in passing yards per game (minimum 80 attempts), first in quarterback rating, first in expected points added per play and first in success rate.
Perhaps most important, the early-season surge has earned him a new nickname: Indiana Jones.
“You’ve got a guy that’s the signal-caller back there that studies his tail off, looks at tape all day every day, grinding, looking at different things, knowing the checks, understanding what we’re trying to get done offensively, getting us in and out of the right plays,” head coach Shane Steichen said after the team’s 41-20 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. “That stuff pays huge dividends in this league, because there’s a lot going on. Obviously, this is one of the toughest positions in all of sports to play, and he’s doing it right now as good as it gets.”
Jones’ play has spearheaded a Colts offense that’s one of the best in the NFL. Indianapolis is second in yards per game, and it’s averaging 34.3 points per game, tied for second in the league.
The Colts’ 103 points through their first three games are a franchise record — more than in any opening three-week stretch operated by Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck.
Jones is doing all of his work at a bargain, too. Indianapolis signed him to a one-year, $14 million contract in the offseason, making him the 21st-highest-paid quarterback in average annual salary. (The Giants, meanwhile, have a $22 million dead cap charge on their books this year from cutting Jones.)
After a Week 2 win in which he threw for 316 yards and a touchdown to go along with a rushing score, he was asked whether he was aware how he was regarded before the season.
“You know what people are saying, and you know what the narrative is in a lot of situations,” Jones said. "But I think I’ve realized — and I think I said this last week — I’ve played a few years now, and one game, two games don’t make a season.”
What have been the keys to Jones’ turnaround?
One factor has been his improvement with pass rushers in his face.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has the fifth-best grade of any quarterback on pressured dropbacks. His 80.9 PFF grade against blitzes is also fourth best in the league.
At the same time, the Colts have supported Jones with a highly effective rushing attack. Indianapolis is ranked third in rushing yards per game, as well as third in ESPN’s run block win rate stat. Running back Jonathan Taylor also leads the NFL with 338 rushing yards.
Skeptics of Jones could note that in the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins, he and the Indy offense have played two of the worst defenses in the league in the first three weeks of the season.
Jones will face a significant test Sunday in the Los Angeles Rams, who are fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per game. The Rams are also 9-3 in their last 12 games dating to last season — and all three losses have come to the Eagles.
For now, Jones will have to settle for being the biggest surprise of the NFL season so far. In the same division in which every other starting quarterback was selected first or second in his respective draft — and with a backup who was selected fourth two years ago — Jones has not only been the best starter in the AFC South, but he is pushing to be one of the best in the league.
“He’s damn near comeback player of the year already,” Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward told reporters this week. “Everybody doubted him, but he’s been showing out.”
