JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Shane Steichen is running out of answers.
After the Indianapolis Colts' 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Colts' head coach left open the possibility of significant lineup changes, including at quarterback.
"I'm going to evaluate everything, every position going forward," Steichen said when asked if Daniel Jones will remain his team's starting quarterback.
Jones finished 19 of 28 for 144 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions before being pulled from the game with 11:53 remaining and the Colts down 35 points. Backup Anthony Richardson Sr., the Colts' 2023 fourth-overall draft pick, finished the game, completing both of his two pass attempts for 8 yards.
Steichen in previous weeks has vociferously defended Jones after losses, even in games when he has played worse than he did against Jacksonville. Sunday was the first time that Steichen left any question about Jones' status. Last week, after a series of questions from reporters about Jones following a loss at Minnesota, Steichen went so far as to say Jones "is our starting quarterback unless I let you guys know differently."
Jones was re-signed in the spring to be the Colts' unquestioned starter after a career-best run to start 2025. He sustained a ruptured Achilles last season and spent the offseason rehabbing before returning for opening day.
But it's been a struggle. Jones has the second-lowest QBR of his career (39.5) and is currently posting the worst completion rate of his career (60.4%).
Jones' performance has raised questions not only about his status this season but going forward, as well. He is under contract with the Colts for next season, but the guarantees in his deal are structured in a way that would allow the Colts to get out of the deal if they wish.
Given the organizational changes already this season -- the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard and traded stars Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner in the past two weeks -- no one's status seems secure. There's also rampant speculation about the future of running back Jonathan Taylor ahead of next week's trade deadline.
"I think right now with everything going on and where we are, keeping your focus on what's here, what's right in front of us, how to improve day after day, is most important," Jones said.
Taylor played in the game despite the potential of him being traded, but he notably had just eight carries -- his fewest in a game since Oct. 15, 2023. Asked if there was any significance to that, Steichen attributed it to the score being lopsided.
"It wasn't like we had a number on his carries," Steichen said. "I know he had less carries than normal, but it wasn't anything to do with anything."
That being said, the Colts did appear to substitute backup Seth McGowan a bit more frequently than usual in the first half, even before the score got out of hand.
Taylor said he wished he could have done more.
"I'm part of this," he said. "My performance was nowhere near up to par ... I'm also part of the embarrassing butt whipping."