Daniel Jones isn’t at risk of losing his starting job just yet.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, after their 26-20 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, confirmed that Jones will remain their starting quarterback moving forward despite his struggles so far this season.
“I think he knows he’s got to play better,” Steichen said. “I’ve gotta coach better. There’s a lot of things, it’s not on one guy. But we’ve got to do a lot of things better.”
"Yes, he is our starting quarterback."
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 18, 2026
Colts HC Shane Steichen on Daniel Jones. pic.twitter.com/hLnFngiBpF
Jones, who made it back in time to start this fall after his Achilles injury late last season, has not played well in recent weeks. He went just 22-of-42 for 269 yards with a touchdown and threw two interceptions on Sunday’s loss, for example. And, despite the Colts dominating the first half offensively — they racked up 232 yards of offense as a group while holding the Titans to just 64 yards in the first two quarters — they had to settle for field goals twice despite being in prime position to find the end zone.
Jones’ first interception came inside the red zone in the first quarter, too, after he tried to force a pass into Josh Downs. Though in Jones’ defense, Amani Hooker made a remarkable grab before falling out of bounds.
Amani with an incredible interception
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 18, 2026
📺: @NFLonFOXpic.twitter.com/wkm4jCgZdo
The second pick also came after a productive drive, and resulted in a Titans field goal on the other end in the third quarter. The Titans tied the game up on an 8-yard pass from Cam Ward to Carnell Tate in the fourth quarter, and then kicked a pair of field goals down the stretch to solidify their six-point win. Jones and the Colts went for it on fourth down on both drives between field goals, too, and failed to convert each time.
Jones now has five interceptions to just three touchdowns this season. The loss, Indianapolis’ second straight, dropped it to 2-4 on the year. It also snapped a six-game win streak that the Colts had over the Titans, and gave Tennessee head coach Robert Slaeh his first win running the organization.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” Steichen said, via The Athletic’s James Boyd. “We’ve got a lot to fix, and we’ve gotta fix it in a hurry. Turnovers continue to be an issue, and we’ve got to handle that better … We’ve got a lot to clean up and we’ve got to fix it in a hurry.”
Despite the Colts’ rough start, Jones clearly still has the starting job under control. If Steichen were to bench him, that would presumably elevate Anthony Richardson to the starting role instead. Richardson, who the Colts selected with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, has only made 15 starts over his first two seasons while dealing with various injuries, and Jones won the starting job over him in training camp last year.
Many even expected Richardson to be playing elsewhere this season after the Colts signed Jones to a two-year deal, but a trade never came together.
Jones has already proven he is a capable starting quarterback in the league. He led the Colts to an 8-2 start last year, after all, and had them in great position to make the playoffs before his injury.
But so far this season, things have not gone well in Indianapolis. Only time will tell if Jones can turn things around.