Why Giants cut Daniel Jones, and why Colts gave him a shot to be a star

Billy Heyen

Why Giants cut Daniel Jones, and why Colts gave him a shot to be a star image

Daniel Jones has looked like the quarterback he was always meant to be, at least through his first two games with the Indianapolis Colts.

It's a small-sample size, yes. And sure, he had flashes of greatness with the New York Giants, too.

But all that matters now is what Jones, dubbed 'Indiana Jones', can do in Indy. And the early returns are positive.

He's certainly made a quick turnaround from his Giants release to his Colts stardom.

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Why did the Giants cut Daniel Jones?

The Giants cut Daniel Jones because they decided he was no longer going to be their future franchise quarterback.

The decision came about a year-and-a-half after signing a four-year, $160 million contract extension.

Jones' play had deteriorated, and the Giants chose to move on rather than get locked into any injury guaranteed money.

He had been the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 out of Duke. After three losing seasons, Jones put together a 9-6-1 record as a starter in 2022.

But across 2023 and 2024 combined, Jones' record as a Giants started was 3-13, and that was enough.

As a free agent midway through 2024, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings to be a backup, learn from Kevin O'Connell and see how Sam Darnold had revitalized his career.

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Why did the Colts sign Daniel Jones and make him their starter?

The timing was fortuitous here. The Colts were looking for exactly the type of quarterback that Jones was in the 2025 offseason.

Indy didn't want to definitively move on from Anthony Richardson after just two seasons. He had been the No. 4 overall pick and clearly oozes physical skill.

But the Colts also wanted legitimate competition for a reasonable cost, and Jones checked all the right boxes.

Then in the preseason, Richardson dealt with a throwing shoulder injury and Jones played well. It really became little question that he'd start Week 1.

And with the way Jones is playing now, it seems unlikely that his job is going anywhere anytime soon.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle