Colts Tell Teams Daniel Jones Is Not Available Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Indianapolis Colts have told other teams they are not trading quarterback Daniel Jones, according to reporting from Tom Pelissero on Saturday. Indianapolis fielded calls on its 29-year-old starter ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline but made clear he is staying, and Jones is set to start Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.

The decision lands in the middle of a Colts sell-off. Indianapolis has already shipped out defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and guard Quenton Nelson, and other veterans have been the subject of rumors as the club sits at 2-6 and third in the AFC South. Jones, though, will not be part of the exodus, at least not before the deadline.

Why the Colts Are Holding Onto Jones

On paper, a quarterback trade would have fit the rebuilding script. Contenders with uncertain situations under center, including the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings, were mentioned as logical suitors. The Colts, however, have reportedly decided to keep Jones rather than hand the offense to Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson Sr. for the rest of the schedule. The report noted that nothing is final and that circumstances could change if a contender loses its starter, but as of Saturday the message to the league is that Jones is not available.

The production explains why the front office may not have seen a blockbuster return. Jones re-signed with Indianapolis in March after a strong 2025, when he started 13 games and finished with 3,101 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 68 percent completion rate. He ranked third in the NFL in yards per attempt (8.1) and sixth in passer rating (100.2) before a season-ending injury.

This season has been a sharp step backward. Through eight games, Jones has completed 162 of 268 passes (60.4 percent) for 1,542 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions, with a 5.8 yards-per-attempt average and a 68.7 passer rating. He has also been sacked 22 times for 143 yards. The five touchdown passes against nine picks is the kind of ratio that cools a trade market quickly, even for a quarterback-needy buyer.

The surrounding roster adds to the difficulty. Indianapolis comes off a 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and ranks 30th in scoring defense. The Colts also sent their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to the New York Jets in the Sauce Gardner trade, so the club does not hold its own first-rounder next April.

What the Betting Market Says About Indianapolis

The Jones news matters to bettors mostly because it confirms who is under center for Sunday’s game. Indianapolis is a home underdog against Dallas, with the Cowboys listed as roughly 5.5-point favorites. Lines vary slightly by book: one widely circulated number has the Cowboys at -5.5 with a moneyline near Cowboys -265 and Colts +215, while another has the moneyline at Cowboys -250 and Colts +210. The total is 51.5 points, the highest on the Week 9 board, even though both teams are well below expectations.

That total says as much about the defenses as the offenses. Indianapolis ranks 30th in scoring defense, while Dallas has its own problems stopping opponents after a home loss to the Cardinals last week. Several national picks lean toward Dallas, with projected scores such as 31-17 and 23-17, though at least one analyst has circled the Colts to cover, noting the Cowboys are rarely trusted as a road favorite of this size.

The futures board is far less forgiving. Indianapolis is listed at +7500 to win the AFC South, +40000 to win the AFC and +100000 to win the Super Bowl. Those prices reflect a team that is essentially out of the playoff conversation, and keeping Jones rather than starting a younger option does little to change that outlook. If anything, the decision signals that the front office is not treating the remainder of the year as a pure tank, even as it sells veterans elsewhere on the roster.

What to Watch Beyond the Deadline

The more interesting betting question is about Jones himself. With nine interceptions in eight games, interception props and passing-yardage lines for Indianapolis games will keep drawing attention, particularly against a Cowboys offense with the weapons to build an early lead and force Jones to throw. His 5.8 yards per attempt this season is a long way from the 8.1 he posted a year ago, and the gap between those two numbers is the clearest example of how much his market value has changed in 12 months.

For Indianapolis, the next few weeks will test whether the reported decision holds. Tuesday’s deadline is the last chance for a team to pry Jones loose, and the Colts would still be able to revisit his situation in the offseason. Until then, he remains the starter for a team that has already moved on from several cornerstone pieces, with the schedule providing little reason to expect a quick turnaround in the standings or in the point spread.