A perfect storm could be brewing for the Indianapolis Colts to move Daniel Jones ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline
It sounds like one NFL franchise may be sniffing around a quarterback trade — and Daniel Jones is impossible to dismiss.
This season for the Indianapolis Colts is, uh, not off to the best of starts. That’s putting things mildly as the franchise reconciles the need for a fresh start starting in 2028. The team’s actions over the past few weeks have made that fate readily apparent.
But the Colts have a few days left to determine how much of a head start they get. And based on the latest buzz around the NFL, it is going to be increasingly difficult to dismiss the idea that the Colts could have a big opportunity on their hands. Could they really find a trade suitor for quarterback Daniel Jones? Never say never — there are some stars aligning.
Could Daniel Jones actually be on the move at the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline?
“I’ll just say with the Vikings trading away JJ McCarthy. With everything…I’m watching the Vikings quarterback position. Okay? That’s what I’m saying. I’m watching the Vikings quarterback position. Especially when they have an All-World defense that is good enough to win a Super Bowl, where they need the quarterback to play well, where they need the offense to produce. Again, with everything going on, I’m watching the Vikings’ quarterback position.”
— ESPN’s Adam Schefter on the Minnesota Vikings and their interest in quarterbacks at the deadline
So…could this be a Daniel Jones comment? Remember, Daniel Jones signed with the Vikings practice squad in November of 2024 and spent the final few months of the 2024 season on the expanded roster before hitting free agency this spring. I’m sure the Vikings are kicking the tires on all possible candidates ahead of the deadline. That would probably include names like Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and others.
The only one with a prior connection to Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings is Jones.
And in Indianapolis, it certainly feels like Jones has hit a dead end. The Colts are paying him handsomely for 2026 — but $44 million of his $50 million total compensation package was paid off as a signing bonus. Approximately half of the remaining compensation has been paid in the form of base salary throughout the season. This…could happen.
Do the Colts want to see Anthony Richardson the rest of the way?
That is, of course, dependent on two things: do the Vikings see Jones as a viable upgrade to Kyler Murray based on his time in Minnesota? And do the Vikings have an appetite to flush the Jones contract from the system and accept sunk cost.
There’s enough smoke here that until the Vikings make some kind of move, I’d have a hard time completely dismissing the idea. For Minnesota, trading for Jones would probably be a bit anti-climatic based on the buzz. But quarterback trades are complicated and Jones has experience with the staff and the system. Let’s see how things break over the weekend.
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