8-2. Tied for the NFL’s best record, holding the AFC tiebreaker over Denver and New England. Berlin is still buzzing after Jonathan Taylor’s 244-yard rushing, 42-yard receiving, 3-touchdown masterpiece. But make no mistake, this quarterback room just quietly became one of the league’s most stable and dangerous.
Daniel Jones is playing the best football of his career, and the rookie behind him has the entire building raving. Let’s break it down.
Mid-Season Snapshot: The Stats That Matter (Through Week 10)
Daniel Jones (10 starts)
• 223/319 (69.9% completion)
• 2,659 passing yards (265.9 per game)
• 15 TD / 7 INT
• 8.3 YPA | 101.6 rating
• 40 carries, 143 yards, 5 rushing TDs
Jones led the NFL in passing yards through Week 10.
In Berlin, he took seven sacks, absorbed a bloody mouth, and still engineered the tying drive and the overtime winner. He did have two turnovers (one interception, one lost fumble), but he never flinched.
He’s been elite under pressure, ranking second in completion rate under pressure through Week 8, according to ESPN. By PFF’s mid-season data, Jones grades as a top-10 to top-15 quarterback while leading the league in passing yards.
The MVP conversation isn’t fantasy, either. He was as short as +1500 in late October and sits around +6500 now — a true dark horse but not currently in the top five.
Riley Leonard (Rookie QB2)
• Drafted: Round 6, Pick 189 (2025)
• Height/Weight: 6′4″, 213 lbs
• Usage: Saw late snaps in Week 8 (two pass attempts, one rush). Otherwise hasn’t appeared in regular-season action.
• College résumé: Quarterbacked Notre Dame to the CFP Final in his lone season there.
• Coaches’ view: Has drawn consistent praise inside the building for his mobility and scout-team work since Anthony Richardson’s Week 6 orbital fracture thrust him into the QB2 role.
The sixth-rounder out of Notre Dame has turned heads on the scout team and earned the staff’s trust, enough to be next man up after Richardson’s injury, but has only seen garbage-time snaps so far.
Mid-Season Grade: A
This is an A room right now.
Jones alone would make it an A-minus. The efficiency, the mobility, the clutch factor, the way he has resurrected his career in Shane Steichen’s system and flirted with MVP chatter, that’s elite starter play.
Riley Leonard quietly turns it into a full A. The depth is no longer a question mark; it’s a legitimate strength. If Jones ever goes down, or in blowouts, Indianapolis has a rookie who looks ready to win games immediately, which is rare for a sixth-rounder.
Anthony Richardson’s rehab remains ongoing, with veteran Brett Rypien manning practice squad duties, but that doesn’t change the outlook. This room is locked in.
Projection: Stretch Run and Playoffs
Jones projects to finish around 4,800–5,000 yards, 28–30 total touchdowns, and a 105+ rating, easily a top-eight quarterback season.
Leonard should get his first real snaps after the bye, likely in garbage-time or late-season series, flashing enough to spark early “QB of the future” talk.
Playoff Jones looks built for it. He thrives indoors, beats the blitz, extends plays, and uses his legs strategically. With this run game and this defense, a deep playoff run feels very real.
Long-term: Jones likely earns a three-to-four-year extension in the $35–38 million range, while Leonard develops behind him. That’s the ideal succession plan for Colts fans.
From “please stay healthy” at quarterback to “we might have two really good ones,” this team has come a long way.
Enjoy the bye, Colts Nation, this QB room is cooking.
Next Up: Offensive Line, the real MVPs who just blocked for 286 Jonathan Taylor scrimmage yards in Berlin.
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