Daniel Jones Benched After Another Rough Performance In Blowout Vs. Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones entered Week 8 with questions already swirling about his job security. While head coach Shane Steichen offered a vote of confidence for his quarterback prior to Sunday's game, it didn't take long for Jones to make his coach regret that decision.

After throwing two interceptions in a blowout, Jones was benched in favor of Anthony Richardson Sr. against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It marked the first time Richardson saw game action since Week 5 of last season.

The Colts made the switch with a little over 11 minutes to play in the contest. At the time he was replaced, Jones was 19 for 28 with 144 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions in the contest, one of which was returned for a Jaguars score to put the team up 28-0 at halftime.

Despite that first interception, Jones opened the third quarter as the Colts' starter. He made it through the third quarter, even tossing a touchdown to prevent a shutout. But on his first drive of the fourth quarter, Jones was picked off by Branson Combs, ending the quarterback's day.

Richardson completed both of his two passes for eight yards as the Colts lost 42-7 to the Jaguars.

It's been a rough season for Jones after a breakout 2025. Heading into Week 8, the quarterback had just four passing touchdowns against seven interceptions in seven starts. Last year, Jones threw 19 touchdowns in 13 starts before a torn Achilles prematurely ended his season. The Colts were 8-5 at the time of Jones' injury. The team went 0-5 over its final five games, falling out of the playoffs.

While there were questions about Jones' availability throughout training camp, the quarterback was able to recover in time to start for the Colts in Week 1. But through seven games, Jones hasn't recaptured last season's success.

After getting benched in Week 8, it could signal the end of Jones' tenure in Indianapolis. Though the team signed Jones to a significant extension that carries the quarterback through 2028, the team can get out of that deal this offseason. Following his benching Sunday, that seems like the likeliest outcome now.