Colts owner hints at behind the scenes context that played a role in the team bringing Daniel Jones back this offseason
Carlie Irsay-Gordon shared a big reason the Colts wanted to keep Daniel Jones, and it could also be why a young player didn’t work out in Indy.
The biggest moves by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason have been the team retaining quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Both were paid handsomely to keep them in Indianapolis. If you ask some people, they’d even say the Colts overpaid them. Keeping both was the team’s top priority, and they did what was needed to get both back.
This week, nearly the entire league is in Arizona for the annual NFL owners’ meetings. A lot of stuff will come out this week, with owners, head coaches, and general managers speaking to the media in attendance. Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon spoke on Sunday, and one of the topics she addressed was Jones and his contract. And she had some very interesting behind-the-scenes information that not only explains why the team retained Jones but also why a young player on the roster has not worked out with the Colts.
Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon shares Shane Steichen’s trust in Daniel Jones, which played a pivotal role in keeping the QB in Indianapolis
I don’t want to name any names, but there are situations where your head coach doesn’t believe in your quarterback, I mean, you’re kind of screwed. I think Shane and Daniel really align.
CARLIE IRSAY-GORDON
COLTS OWNER
Jones looked like he was going to have the best year of his career last year. He led the Colts to an incredible 7-1 record through the first eight games and had the offense on pace to be one of the best in NFL history.
Sadly, he suffered two major injuries, including a fractured leg and a torn right Achilles tendon, that ended his season after just 13 games. The team seems to believe that the version of him he showed through eight games will be back in 2026, and paid him to prove that. Honestly, I think Steichen’s trust in Jones played a factor in him winning the starting job over Anthony Richardson in training camp, or at least the lack of trust in Richardson.
Could Steichen’s lack of trust in Anthony Richardson have played a role in his failure with the Colts?
Irsay-Gordon said when a head coach doesn’t trust his quarterback, that team is “kind of screwed.” She said she was talking about other teams, but it is very possible she also had her own team in mind when it comes to the Colts’ 2023 first-round pick.
The Colts permitted Richardson to speak to teams to find a trade partner for the quarterback this offseason. The writing on the wall points toward the quarterback’s time in Indianapolis coming to an end. The Colts’ decision to sign Jones last offseason really signaled to the world that they weren’t confident in Richardson as their franchise quarterback. Then losing the training camp battle to Jones made it abundantly clear that the Colts were moving on.
I’m sure Irsay-Gordon wasn’t speaking about Richardson, but Steichen’s inability to trust him in that role also led to his downfall with the team. Hopefully, wherever he goes next, he lands somewhere the coaching staff has a specific plan to help him develop and address weaknesses in his game. He has a lot of God-given talent you can’t teach, like his arm strength and running ability, but the mental side of the position needs to improve for him to succeed anywhere in the NFL.
Indianapolis Colts News
Colts replace a starter that left in free agency in a new 2026 NFL mock draft, but it isn’t the position most are expecting
Colts take an unexpected route in a new 2026 NFL mock draft but it’s probably a realistic outcome that could happen.
