Speaking to reporters after the deadline, the Colts quarterback was asked about the team trading away four starters in the span of two weeks, and he was honest about how it landed in the locker room.
“You’re not happy to see it, right?” Jones said, adding that “you’re not happy to see a lot of those decisions.”
He was careful not to take it any further than that, though.
Jones called the moves “outside of our control” and said the players’ job is to “play, be prepared, and play well.”
Four Starters Gone In Two Weeks
The teardown started on October 27, when Indianapolis shipped eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder.
A few hours later, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was headed back to San Francisco, where his career began, in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Then on deadline day, the Colts moved both of Jones’ veteran receivers within a few hours of each other.
🚨🚨 Daniel Jones is "not happy" with #Colts' roster purge. #ForTheShoe
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) November 12, 2026
Keenan Allen went to the 49ers for a 2027 sixth-round pick, while the Kansas City Chiefs paid a fourth and a fifth to land Josh Downs.
The only big name who stayed put was Jonathan Taylor, who remains the focal point of the offense after Indianapolis held onto him despite heavy interest.
The Colts didn’t come away with a first-round pick in any of those deals, and they don’t own their own 2027 first either, since the New York Jets hold it from the Sauce Gardner trade.
Jones Left With Little To Work With
Jones was already having a rough go of it before the sell-off, with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions through nine games as the Colts stumbled to 2-7.
Head coach Shane Steichen has continued to back him despite questions about his job security.
Now he’s working with a very thin receiving group.
Laquon Treadwell has been the team’s most productive wide receiver this season with just 16 catches for 215 yards, and with Allen and Downs gone, tight end Tyler Warren is now Indianapolis’ leading pass catcher.
Daniel Jones, asked about the #Colts making trades for the future while he’s trying to win in the present: “You’re not happy to see a lot of those decisions, but like I said, that’s outside of our control. And our job is to play. Be prepared and play well. …” https://t.co/0BH46dDY8x
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) November 11, 2026
That’s a tough spot for a quarterback the Colts committed to in March, when they gave Jones a two-year, $88 million deal worth up to $100 million with incentives, the largest two-year contract in NFL history at the time.
He’s coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season, and the deal included $50 million guaranteed at signing.
His $38 million salary for 2027 includes $10 million guaranteed for injury that becomes fully guaranteed next March, which gives Indianapolis a clear decision point on his future this offseason.
