The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the busiest teams before the NFL trade deadline. Veterans keep coming up in calls and the quarterback spot has stayed out of the conversation.
That held until this week, when Daniel Jones appeared in trade reports. Adam Schefter named Baltimore and Minnesota as possible destinations, and Jeremy Fowler said Jones’ name has come up in league discussions. Neither report said the Colts are shopping him, and neither said a deal is close.
Daniel Jones Is a Surprise Trade Candidate
Colts Shopped Daniel Jones After Brutal Interception Slide Sinks Season
Indianapolis signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract before the 2025 season. He threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions across 13 games last year, which kept him as the starter.
The 2026 season has gone the other way. Jones has thrown for 1,542 yards and five touchdowns with nine interceptions through eight games, completing 60.4% of his passes for a 68.7 passer rating.
The Jacksonville Jaguars game put his name in the reports. Jones threw one touchdown and two interceptions in a 42-7 loss to the Jaguars on Nov. 1, and the Colts have lost six of their first eight games.
Baltimore Is No Longer Same Option
Schefter raised the Baltimore Ravens before they filled the hole at quarterback. The Ravens were missing Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley, which left undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano as the expected starter against Jacksonville.
Some trade deadline thoughts as Tuesday, Nov. 10 draws closer.
Cc: @tyschmit
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2026
Baltimore has since moved toward Jacoby Brissett, so the opening that made Jones a fit there is closed.
Fowler said Jones was at least on Baltimore’s radar. He also noted a $5.5 million base salary that can be traded, with Jones’ 2027 guarantees not triggering until the offseason.
The Ravens mention explains the timing. It does not put Baltimore back in the market for a quarterback.
Minnesota Has a Different Question
The Vikings are the more plausible stop because their quarterback room has no settled starter. Kyler Murray is working through a hamstring injury, and Carson Wentz has been named the starter for the Vikings’ next game, though Murray starts when healthy.
Schefter named Minnesota as a destination. He did not report that the Vikings called Indianapolis, and no contact between the two teams has been reported since.
Jones has been in Minnesota before. The Vikings added him to the practice squad late in the 2024 season, moved him to the active roster in January 2025, and he signed with Indianapolis that offseason.
That history gives Minnesota a name to call if the hamstring keeps Murray out.
Colts Have a Difficult Decision
Trading Jones means weighing his contract against his 2026 numbers. Indianapolis also has to decide whether 2025 says more about him than the eight games since.
The Colts have already traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. Josh Downs has requested a trade and Jonathan Taylor has been discussed as a deadline possibility.
Jones differs from those players because he touches the ball on every snap. Moving him leaves Indianapolis hunting a starter and rewriting the rest of its season.
A trade is hard to call. The Colts could treat the 2026 numbers as a reason to sell, or the 2025 season as a reason to hold, and the deadline gives them days to choose.
The Last Word
Two reporters have put Jones in the deadline conversation without saying that Indianapolis has decided anything. Schefter named Baltimore and Minnesota, and Fowler said Jones was at least on the Ravens’ radar.
Baltimore has since acquired Brissett, which cuts the need there. Minnesota carries more weight with Murray’s hamstring unresolved.
Jones has thrown five touchdowns against nine interceptions, down from 19 last season. The Colts have lost six of eight and owe him $88 million over two years.
A team calling about him would be buying the 2025 tape and a $5.5 million base salary, with the 2027 guarantees untouched until the offseason.
Main Image: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
