With respect to the likes of Drew Lock and Sam Ehlinger, it’s been quite some time since a Colts–Giants game involved a meaningful quarterback storyline.
Barring injury, that should change on Nov. 29 when Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants face old friend Daniel Jones, who revived his career in Indianapolis last year.
We always knew the Giants and Colts would play this year, though the NFL didn’t announce its Week 12 date until last Thursday. As The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll pointed out, the later this game took place, the better.
Jones, who had the Colts in position to win the AFC South for much of last year, tore his right Achilles tendon last December.
Even with four primetime games, the possibility of the Giants–Jones showdown was enough for Carroll to deem it the top Giants game to watch.
“A little bit of padding increases the chances he’ll be back in the lineup to face off against the team that selected him with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft,” Carroll wrote.
Jones has never played against the Giants, who cut him midway through the 2024 season. Although the former Duke star finished that year with the Vikings, they’d already played the Giants in Week 1. Indy did not face the Giants last season.
It remains unclear whether Jones will be ready for the Colts’ Week 1 opener against the Ravens.
Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard are expected to compete for the backup role — and, by extension, the likely Week 1 starter if Jones can’t play.
The Colts have not been credibly linked to any veteran quarterbacks in recent weeks, nor did they add one in last month’s draft.
As for the Giants, they'd better hope that Dart is still on the field in November.
Doctors evaluated Dart for a concussion at least five times in his rookie season. Although concerns have mounted about his durability, the Giants unsurprisingly did not use a Day 3 pick on a quarterback.
The Giants open their season on “Sunday Night Football” against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on Sept. 13.
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