Analyst Believes Daniel Jones Is on Track to Have a Sam Darnold-like Season with the Colts

Bart Scott believes Daniel Jones will go on to start every game for the Indianapolis Colts this season, and have a year similar to Sam Darnold.

Analyst Believes Daniel Jones Is on Track to Have a Sam Darnold-like Season with the Colts

Bart Scott has big expectations from Daniel Jones this season (Image Credits: IMAGO/X)

It has been a rough few years for Daniel Jones. The former New York Giants quarterback struggled since his return from a disheartening ACL injury in 2023. The quarterback was released mid-season by the Giants. Jones then went on to sign with the Minnesota Vikings; however, that did not last long as Jones eventually found a better deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Daniel Jones will look to resurrect his career in Indianapolis. The quarterback showed promise in one season, and now gets his second chance in the NFL. Jones will compete against Anthony Richardson for the top job. This will be the season that the Indianapolis Colts decide if the fourth overall pick of the 2023 draft will go on to become the team’s franchise quarterback or not.

Despite the uncertainty of Daniel Jones becoming the Colts’ starter, ESPN’s Bart Scott had a bold prediction to make regarding the quarterback’s performance this season. Scott is confident that Jones will be the starter in Week 1, and that he would go on to have a remarkable bounce-back year similar to Sam Darnold last season.

I think Danny Dimes can end up having a Sam Darnold-type of year, a bounce-back. He’s never been in an environment. The environment matters. He never had an RB like Taylor. Well, he had Saquon, but they didn’t have an Offensive line. He has two outstanding number one receivers on the outside.

Scott said on ESPN’s Get Up

The analyst’s optimism is laudable. He is banking on the quarterback to have a great year. Undoubtedly, Daniel Jones has something to prove this season. The quarterback will go to great lengths to prove that he was not the problem in New York, and fortunately for him, he has an elite running back in Jonathan Taylor.

Daniel Jones’ future in the NFL depends on his performance this season

When Daniel Jones has played with an elite Pro Bowl-running back, he has thrived. It was once Saquon Barkley left New York that his struggles became ‘imminent.’ Despite the optimism, Scott’s prediction is a longshot. Sam Darnold had an elite receiver in Justin Jefferson last season and Kevin O’Connell as his head coach. The quarterback threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, both career-bests for him.

Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones
Can Daniel Jones replicate the same magic that Sam Darnold did last season? (Images via IMAGO)

Besides, Darnold’s achievements were impressive because he made a single start for San Francisco the year prior, and came off the bench on other occasions. Minnesota took a big bet on him, and it paid off. If Daniel Jones continued in that same system under Kevin O’Connell, then Bart Scott’s prediction would be more believable. However, Jones is on a different team, and under a different head coach.

Fortunately, for him, he has a good opportunity to prove that he deserves to be a starter in the NFL. Anthony Richardson’s performance last season was not up to par. The quarterback missed a few games due to injuries, and after he subbed himself out in the middle of an offensive drive due to exhaustion, the quarterback briefly lost his starting role. Jones is an improvement over Richardson, but by a yardstick.

Last season was forgettable for the quarterback as he threw for 2,070 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He finished with a QBR of 47.8. Those are concerning numbers. In Indianapolis, he has a rare opportunity to redeem his career. Head coach Shane Steichen is impressed with what he sees from Jones. As per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Jones is currently ahead of Richardson for the starter’s role.

Daniel Jones has had a really nice spring, by all accounts, in picking up Shane Steichen’s offense in Indy. Even if Anthony Richardson is cleared for the start of training camp, he may be chasing Jones for the Colts’ starting job.

The worst-case scenario for Jones would be to take at least half of the total snaps each week. The Colts understand that by minimizing Anthony Richardson’s workload, they can keep him healthy and get their money’s worth from Daniel Jones.

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