INDIANAPOLIS -- When coach Shane Steichen declared Daniel Jones the winner of the Indianapolis Colts' preseason quarterback battle, it prompted questions about just which part of Jones' sometimes humdrum training camp and preseason performance led to the conclusion.
Riley Leonard, the Colts' sixth-round pick who is going through something of an apprenticeship in the quarterbacks room this season, had a front-row seat for it all and has some thoughts.
Much of Jones' value, Leonard said, is on display before the ball is even snapped.
"With [Jones], I think a lot of the times you'll see the most simple play in the world be executed, and I'd say 70% of quarterbacks would've never got us into that play," Leonard said, referring to pre-snap adjustments. "But if you're watching it on TV, it's, 'All right, boom, we ran the ball for 5 yards.' Well, if we were in the play that we would've run, we would've lost 10 yards on that play and be punting on this drive. But nobody knows that. You don't see the bad stuff because, with Daniel, it doesn't happen as much."
It's not sexy. And it's not going to have Jones flying off the board in fantasy drafts across the land. But seeing how these nuances were the basis of one of the most consequential decisions Steichen has made in his three seasons, they clearly matter a great deal.
"The things that he can control, he doesn't miss," Leonard said of Jones. "So, all the mentals and things pre-snap, getting us in the right play, getting the ball out of his hands, understanding protections, he just doesn't miss."
The Colts are banking heavily on Jones' ability to excel in these areas, hoping that will stabilize a quarterback situation that has come to be defined by upheaval.
Richardson in 2023-24 was the first Colts quarterback to start consecutive season openers since Andrew Luck in 2015-16. Indianapolis has had 10 different starting quarterbacks since the start of the 2019 season following Luck's retirement, tied for the third-most in the NFL per ESPN Research.
Enter Jones, the New York Giants' 2019 choice at No. 6, who will become the 11th different starter in that time frame.
"He made some plays in training camp, some checks, some protection [adjustments] to get us in the right situations to hit some big plays that were huge for us," Steichen said of Jones. "Those things are going to come up in the game, and I feel very confident in his abilities to get us into the right plays."
Will that be enough to produce marked improvement at quarterback for the Colts?
Otherwise, there's not much in Jones' recent history to suggest he will be transformative for the Colts' offense. Jones was 26th in QBR last season -- one spot ahead of Richardson. He also finished 35th in yards per attempt (6.1) and 30th in touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.1 to 1).
Jones and Richardson couldn't be more different. Richardson tends to be more boom or bust, leading the NFL in air yards per attempt last season and posing a consistent threat as one of the league's most dangerous running quarterbacks. His completion percentage, however, was historically low (47.7%). Jones, on the other hand, played much more conservatively. Consider: He was last among starting quarterbacks in the percentage of pass attempts resulting in explosive plays (8.9%).
For Steichen, it's clearly a gamble. But the coach is betting on the quarterback he believes will consistently do the small things right (Jones) over another with big-play potential.
"I know he's had his ups and downs, but everyone's journey is different," Steichen said of Jones. "I feel confident in his abilities."
General manager Chris Ballard sees similarities to another quarterback who took advantage of a second chance.
"Daniel's had a good run here," Ballard said. "He reminds me a lot of Alex Smith that we had [when I worked in] Kansas City, who I thought was just the ultimate professional day in and day out. The team knew exactly what they were getting. And I feel that's kind of the same thing with Daniel."
It's as much a bet on the team's offensive playmakers and Steichen's scheme as it is a bet on Jones himself. Privately, the Colts strongly believe they have better personnel than the Giants, allowing Jones to benefit from the talent around him. With explosive running back Jonathan Taylor, receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce and rookie tight end Tyler Warren at his disposal, Jones should have more to work with. Steichen hinted at this when he announced his quarterback decision.
"I think we've got a good group around him overall," he said. "Our football team offensively, the weapons we have, I feel that he can be successful in it."
Said Jones: "It's a strong group there. The guys on the perimeter, receivers, tight ends, backs ... I think there's a lot of guys who can make plays. So, I'm excited to get out there with them."
When Jones does, there's a belief he'll position those teammates to succeed with his veteran understanding of the game. And that mastery is a product of the time Jones puts in, Steichen and teammates say. By all accounts, that's an area Richardson has stepped up in the past year after his brief benching last season. But after years of pouring himself into the job, Jones is expectedly further ahead than Richardson.
"He's literally the first guy in the building every day," Leonard said. "One of the last guys to leave. And I never see Daniel at his locker, on his phone or just hanging out. He's always doing something. Every time I walk into the film room, he's there watching film. He's so dialed in."
Leonard relayed a scenario from last week, the final week of the preseason, when starters were informed well in advance that they would not be playing in the final exhibition game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Leonard was scheduled to start the game and was laser focused on the plays that were on the menu of calls for the week.
And yet ...
"He's not even playing, and he knows every single thing that Cincinnati is doing," Leonard said of Jones. "He's drawing up every single play that we have in."
Soon, the NFL will learn whether Jones' imperceptible actions behind closed doors, in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage will lead to impact in a place where everyone can plainly see it: the scoreboard.