The Indianapolis Colts officially named Daniel Jones their starting quarterback on Tuesday, throwing 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson under the bus one last time. It's hard to chart a successful path forward for this QB room. Richardson's development has been completely sidetracked by a coach who does not believe in him. Jones, meanwhile, has more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (10) over the last two seasons and he's on a one-year contract, so the Colts can hardly consider him a long-term solution.
Whether it's Arch Manning in 2026 or another veteran stopgap in free agency, the Colts will probably throw a new quarterback into the fire a year from now. Whether Shane Steichen is still the head coach, that remains to be seen.
It's hard to blame the Colts for starting Jones — Richardson's sluggish processing speed is still alarming three years into his NFL career — but it's equally different to uncover the silver lining. The Colts are stuck between a rock and a hard place at quarterback.
Not the Minnesota Vikings, though. In fact, Jones' former team is in position to benefit immensely from his elevation to QB1 in Indianapolis — all while J.J. McCarthy blazes his trail as Minnesota's franchise quarterback.
Vikings to receive extra NFL Draft pick if Daniel Jones starts enough games for Colts
The Vikings are in line to receive a compensatory fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if Jones meets a certain playing time threshold, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Additionally, Jones' salary with the Colts includes $13.5 million guaranteed, with an additional $1 million in incentives based on playing time.
With Daniel Jones now starting for the Colts after he signed a 1-year, $14 million deal this offseason, the Vikings could be in line for a 4th-round compensatory pick in next year’s draft, depending on his playing time.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2025
Minnesota signed Jones late last season, and even without… pic.twitter.com/hnjVcAiP1O
While the Colts are not directly impacted by Minnesota's potential acquisition of a fourth-round pick, it feels a bit on the nose for Jones' ex-team to benefit so explicitly from his departure. Jones essentially logged a few weeks as Sam Darnold's understudy in Minnesota, picked up the Kevin O'Connell system for naught, and then chased the money (and the opportunity) to Indianapolis. Now the Vikings can cash in while the Colts crash and burn, all while Jones' salary ticks up with each start.
This is great business for the Vikings, of course. Minnesota never found itself in need of Jones' services, but a fourth-round pick — with a smart front office, a great coaching staff and a prime developmental ecosystem — could become a meaningful long-term contributor for the Vikes.
Is Daniel Jones going to play enough for Colts to unlock Vikings fourth-round pick?
This is the real question. As we know, starting Week 1 in the NFL does not guarantee a start in Week 10. Jones will still feel the heart of Anthony Richardson, who is five years younger, with (in theory) a more meaningful investment stake from the Colts front office as a top-10 pick. Danny Dimes must start three-fifths of games this season to trigger a fourth-round pick to Minnesota. (The Vikings still get a fifth-round pick if Jones does not meet the threshold, so it's a win-win situation for them.)
This is good news for the Vikings so far. If Daniel Jones plays enough snaps this season, they are more likely to get a 4th rounder instead of a 5th rounder in a compensatory pick for Daniel Jones going to Indy.https://t.co/K8xYD1BELR
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) August 19, 2025
If Jones is as bad as we all think he is, there's a good chance the Colts come crawling back to Richardson midseason. That, too, feels ill-fated, because Steichen has done nothing but undercut Richardson's development at every turn. But even so, it remains quite plausible. So the Vikings cannot bank on this fourth-round pick just yet. Give it time.