What might the Sauce Gardner trade mean for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones?

Well, for one, the outlook of the Colts‘ cornerback room has greatly improved, and improved play from the defense is, of course, a good thing for Jones and the high-powered Indianapolis offense.

But in addition to that, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano mentioned, the trade signals that the Colts are fully committed to Jones being their quarterback moving forward.

“One other aspect of the Colts’ deal for Gardner that a few people have mentioned to me: This signals that they’re fully convinced on Daniel Jones at quarterback,” Graziano wrote. “If they felt Jones wasn’t going to be the answer and they were going to need a QB of the future, they wouldn’t have traded their next two first-round picks.”

Given Jones’ play this season, even without the trade for Gardner, I think it was safe to assume that he was going to be the answer at quarterback for the Colts beyond the 2025 season.

Led by Jones, the Colts’ offense ranks first in scoring and yards per play through nine weeks.

Jones has completed nearly 70% of his passes at 8.2 yards per attempt with 14 touchdowns to six interceptions. Among all quarterbacks, Jones ranks eighth in completion rate, first in passing yards, and fifth in yards per attempt.

The Colts signed Jones to a one-year deal this past offseason. He is set to be a free agent in 2026, but as Graziano said, he will “continue to be on the lookout for a Jones contract extension this offseason, if not sooner.”

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL insider on how Sauce Gardner trade impacts Colts’ Daniel Jones