Shane Steichen has maintained his confidence in Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones. However, if the Colts are going to have any chance of turning this season around, Jones has to be better.
Especially when it comes to not turning the ball over.
“He’s aware that he has to produce and play better, and I think the biggest thing is the takeaways, the turnovers," Steichen said on Monday, via The Athletic's James Boyd. "We gotta do a great job of taking care of the football, especially in the red zone, when you've already got three points, we gotta be smarter down there, don't force anything and I believe he'll do a great job of that moving forward."
#Colts HC Shane Steichen, asked why QB Daniel Jones has regressed this year and at what point his preparation — which Steichen has praised — needs to match his production:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 19, 2026
“He’s aware that he has to produce and play better, and I think the biggest thing is the takeaways …” pic.twitter.com/gNDRbzJK2F
This season, Jones has thrown six interceptions -- tied for the fourth-most in the NFL -- and he's also lost a few fumbles as well.
Turnovers take points off the board for the Colts' offense -- as we saw in the first half against Tennessee when Jones threw a red zone interception -- and they create scoring opportunities for the opponent. In a game the Colts lost by six points to the Titans, Tennessee was gifted six points from turnovers.
But beyond the interceptions and fumbles, Jones hasn't been as sharp this season either. Jones is completing just 59% of his throws and is averaging 5.9 yards per pass attempt, after averaging 8.1 yards per throw in 2025. Poor decisions and off-target passes have been a part of the equation as well.
That said, it's not as if conditions around Jones have been great either. The offensive line unit struggled against the Titans, the run game has been lackluster, and without Alec Pierce, the wide receiver depth has been exposed.
The road ahead for Jones and the Colts' offense won't get any easier as they face two of the stingiest defenses in football in the next two games in Minnesota and Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Steichen addresses play of Colts' QB Daniel Jones after latest loss