NFL trade deadline rumors: Colts' Daniel Jones could get dealt and there's only one team that makes sense

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the busiest teams in the NFL heading into the trade deadline and they might not be done making deals. The Colts have already traded away both Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and it appears that there's at least a chance that Daniel Jones could be next. 

According to ESPN, the Colts have taken calls from "multiple" teams about Jones' availability and they've been willing to listen to any offer. This doesn't mean that Jones will ultimately be traded, but it does mean that he'll definitely be one of the biggest names to watch between now and Tuesday's deadline. 

At one point, Jones looked like he was going to be the Colts' quarterback of the future. Last season, he helped get the Colts off to a 7-1 start before his year was derailed by injuries. He ended up tearing his Achilles in Week 13, which caused him to miss the final four games of the year. Despite the injury, the Colts still decided to sign him to a two-year $88 million extension back in March. The deal included $50 million in guaranteed money and the Colts have already paid most of that out in the form of a $44 million signing bonus. 

This means that if a team acquires Jones, it wouldn't cost much from a financial standpoint. The one thing about a potential Jones trade is that there aren't very many trade candidates out there. The ESPN report mentioned that the Ravens had called about his availability, but Baltimore ended up making a deal for Jacoby Brissett. 

Daniel Jones landing spot

With the Ravens out, that basically leaves one team that makes sense for Jones, and that's the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are off to a 6-1 start and they currently have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but that unit is essentially going to waste right now because Minnesota has an offense that can't move the ball. 

The Vikings signed Kyler Murray in the offseason hoping he could spark the offense, but that hasn't happened. He's started six games this season and simply hasn't been effective. The Vikings' passing attack is averaging just 165.6 yards per game this year, which is the second-worst number in the NFL. Murray has also been dealing with multiple injuries, including a hamstring issue that will keep him on the sideline this week. 

The Vikings also have Carson Wentz, who will be making his second start of the season in Week 9. Wentz started in Week 2 after Murray suffered a concussion and during that start, he completed just 55% of his passes for 143 yards and zero touchdowns. However, he did play reasonably well while filling in for Murray in Week 1 with three TD passes in a 39-22 win over the Packers. 

If Wentz can lead the Vikings to a win over the 6-1 Buffalo Bills on Monday night, that might change the Vikings' mind about making a deal for Jones, but if he struggles, then it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Minnesota try to make a move for a QB before the trade deadline (The Vikings did also have J.J. McCarthy at QB, but they traded him away to the Giants in late September. 

One reason Jones would make a lot of sense for Minnesota is that Kevin O'Connell is already familiar with him. Jones spent the 2024 season in Minnesota and the Vikings actually wanted him back, but he ended up signing with the Colts because he felt like he had a better chance to start with them. 

The Colts will definitely be a team to watch between now and Tuesday. Besides Jones, they could also trade Jonathan Taylor, but there's no guarantee that will happen. 

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