Duke Professional Athletes

The Jones Problem Isn't Going Away — Neither Is Jones

Duke's most scrutinized NFL alumnus had the kind of week that makes front offices lose sleep. Daniel Jones completed just 13-of-22 passes for 108 yards, threw an interception, and added 13 rushing yards in a 16-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on October 25 — a performance that landed him on the wrong end of NFL history. According to Heavy Sports, Minnesota blitzed Jones at a rate unseen by any NFL defense in at least a decade, and the strategy worked with brutal efficiency. Indianapolis managed just 108 total passing yards on the day, and the Colts dropped to 2-5.

The numbers alone were damning. The context made them worse. Indianapolis handed Jones a two-year, $88 million contract this past offseason — a commitment built almost entirely on a single encouraging season — and the second year of that deal is looking increasingly indefensible. Heavy Sports noted there is a $10.51 million financial mechanism that could factor into any benching conversation, adding a dollars-and-cents dimension to what is already an uncomfortable football question.

Head coach Shane Steichen has been peppered with benching questions at every available opportunity and has declined to take the bait each time. After the Vikings loss, Steichen said he had "not thought" about a quarterback change, a stance CBS Sports noted is complicated by the fact that neither backup Anthony Richardson nor fellow Duke alum Riley Leonard offers a clear upgrade. Still, Heavy Sports reported that some within league circles believe Leonard — a rookie who arrived in Indianapolis after a standout college career — could emerge as the long-term answer over both Jones and Richardson. For now, though, he watches.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that the Colts are planning to stick with Jones through the trade deadline stretch, even as the team has sold off key assets including DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson. Indianapolis appears to be in a full rebuild posture — which raises the uncomfortable question of why an $88 million quarterback is still the face of it.

Sports Illustrated was blunt: Steichen's continued belief in Jones "has become unjustifiable." The Colts, at least publicly, are not giving in to the pressure.

Monk's Season Ends in Green Bay

Elsewhere in the Duke NFL diaspora, Jacob Monk's second NFL season came to an abrupt halt. The Packers center suffered a quadriceps injury in Green Bay's Week 7 loss to the Lions and was placed on injured reserve Monday, ending his year. Monk's absence prompted Green Bay to sign former first-round pick Mekhi Becton to the active roster to shore up the offensive line depth. Laken Tomlinson, another Duke product on the Packers' roster, shifted to right guard in the wake of the injuries, stepping into a larger role as Green Bay tries to stabilize its interior line.

Gray Stays Productive in Seattle

In brighter news, Noah Gray continued to contribute for the Kansas City Chiefs in their October 25 matchup against the Seahawks, hauling in 3 receptions for 44 yards. Kansas City lost 20-3, but Gray's reliability as a receiving tight end remained intact — a quiet-but-steady presence for the defending champions as they work through a rare rough stretch.

The week's Duke NFL story, though, belongs entirely to Jones. Whether Indianapolis eventually pulls the plug or rides out the contract, the Blue Devil QB has become the league's most uncomfortable case study in quarterback valuation gone wrong.

The most prominent Blue Devil in the NFL had a week to forget — and Indianapolis is starting to wonder whether Daniel Jones was ever the answer.

Jones, the former Duke quarterback now in his second season with the Colts, turned in one of the ugliest performances of the young NFL season on Sunday, throwing two interceptions in a stunning 26-20 home loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. The Colts held a commanding 13-0 halftime lead before collapsing, allowing 26 unanswered second-half points. Indianapolis fell to 2-4 on the season, and the mood around the franchise has turned dark fast.

The criticism was swift and unsparing. ESPN insider Stephen Holder didn't mince words in his postgame assessment of Jones, and fans flooded social media calling for his immediate benching in favor of backup Anthony Richardson — a development complicated significantly by the news that Richardson was charged with a misdemeanor marijuana possession following a traffic stop ahead of the team's Week 7 matchup with the Vikings.

Head coach Shane Steichen has publicly stood by his starter, saying simply, "He's our starting quarterback" — while also acknowledging Jones "has got to play better." That's a ringing endorsement it isn't. The Colts signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million extension in the offseason as he returned from a torn right Achilles, a commitment some in the media have already labeled the "biggest mistake" of the franchise's offseason. Through six weeks, those critics are finding plenty of ammunition.

Jones finished Sunday with 269 passing yards and one touchdown to go with the two costly picks, adding 30 rushing yards. The numbers aren't catastrophic on paper, but the context is damning — the Titans entered Week 6 at 0-5, and the Colts handed them their first win of the season. NFL fans wasted no time trolling both Jones and Indianapolis after Cam Ward and Tennessee walked out of Lucas Oil Stadium with the victory.

The Anthony Richardson situation looms over everything. The former No. 4 overall pick lost his starting job to Jones and is now the backup on a struggling team. With Richardson's off-field issue now clouding the picture, the Colts' quarterback room has become one of the messiest storylines in the AFC South.

Around the Rest of the Duke Alumni

The Blue Devil footprint extended well beyond Indianapolis this week. In Kansas City, tight end Noah Gray had a quiet but efficient afternoon as the Chiefs rolled past the Chargers 22-6, hauling in three catches for 53 yards. Gray continues to serve as a reliable safety valve for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City's offense.

Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter was in uniform for Buffalo's dramatic 33-30 win over the Raiders, a game that kept the Bills firmly atop the AFC standings. Cornerback Josh Blackwell was on the field as Chicago edged Atlanta 31-23, and linebacker Chris Rumph II played his part in New Orleans' 34-27 victory over the Giants.

None of those performances, however, will command a fraction of the attention being paid to Jones. For Duke fans watching their most prominent NFL alumni, Week 6 was a painful reminder of how quickly fortunes can turn under center.

The Jones Problem

The honeymoon is over in Indianapolis. Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, who dazzled in 2025, has become the central headache for a Colts team quietly sliding off the rails at 2-3. A Week 5 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers — 34-22, and not as close as the score suggests — dropped Indy to a record that has the fanbase and national media asking a pointed question: Is it time to move on?

ESPN floated the benching conversation publicly ahead of Week 6, and the pressure is real. Jones is on a $50 million contract this season, but his numbers aren't matching that price tag. Through five games, he's thrown for 754 yards and just three touchdowns against four interceptions — and decision-making has been a recurring complaint. The Steelers game produced 267 passing yards and 4 rushing yards, a performance that head coach Shane Steichen called out with unusual candor. Steichen acknowledged the offense was "inconsistent at best," stopping short of pulling the plug on his starter but declining to offer an unqualified endorsement.

The alternative making noise? Anthony Richardson, the arm-talent-first former first-round pick whose comeback from injury has Indianapolis fans dreaming — or at least second-guessing. Per Sports Illustrated, Jones remains the Colts' best option for now, but that qualifier is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Every loss tightens the leash.

Injury Scare, Then Relief

Adding to the chaos: Jones showed up on the injury report Wednesday with an ankle issue — the first time this season he'd appeared on it. He was listed as a full practice participant, and by the end of the week the concern had largely dissipated. Yahoo Sports confirmed Jones was a full go heading into Week 6, which at least removes one variable from a situation that doesn't need more.

Less certain is the health of tight end Tyler Warren, Jones's most-used target. Warren landed on the injury report Friday with a groin issue and was listed as questionable — a potential blow to a passing game that's already underperforming. Warren had been one of the few reliable outlets for Jones, and his absence would force Indy to lean on options that haven't yet earned that same trust.

Blue Devil in Carolina

Away from the Jones drama, there's a quiet Blue Devil success story worth noting. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Aaron Hall has carved out a role with the Carolina Panthers and earned a spot on NFL.com's early All-Rookie team through four games. Hall went unselected in April's draft — nobody wanted to gamble even a late pick on him — and has proceeded to make that decision look like a mistake. It's the kind of low-profile, high-effort ascent that tends to get buried under bigger headlines, but Duke fans should know the name.

By the Numbers

Elsewhere in the league, DeWayne Carter logged a sack for the Bills in their Monday night win over the Rams (37-34) — a brief but notable contribution from the Duke defensive tackle in what was one of the week's better games. Chandler Rivers suited up for Baltimore in a 30-23 win over Atlanta, and Michael Carter II appeared for Philadelphia in a 19-17 loss to Jacksonville.

But make no mistake: this is Daniel Jones's week in Duke's NFL story, for better or worse. The next few Sundays will clarify whether he's a $50 million investment or an expensive lesson.

Daniel Jones Gets the W — Now What?

The result was a win. The performance was something else entirely.

Daniel Jones guided the Indianapolis Colts to a 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 4, pushing Indy to 2-2. But the box score told a complicated story: 143 passing yards, one rushing touchdown, and one interception — against a Commanders team that burned through its quarterback depth and turned to seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis before halftime. The optics of a shaky performance against a shorthanded opponent did Jones no favors.

The ugliest moment came early. Jones dropped back to pass and his own left tackle bumped into him, causing a fumble that Washington recovered — a sequence that set an anxious early tone. Calls to bench him surfaced online before halftime. Head coach Shane Steichen defended his quarterback after the game but pulled no punches when meeting with the media Monday, delivering a direct message: Jones has to know when to kill the play and live to fight another down. The implicit warning was clear — the leash has limits.

The scrutiny arrives at a particularly charged moment. Jones is just months removed from Achilles surgery, making his every stumble feel magnified. Sports Illustrated asked the question that's now circulating Indianapolis: is it too early to panic? The surrounding noise suggests the fanbase isn't willing to wait long for an answer. Multiple trade proposals have already been floated publicly — one pairing Jones with the New Orleans Saints — and at least one analyst called on the Colts to ship him out before his turnovers tank an otherwise functional roster.

What's not lost in the noise is that the defense continues to show real growth. Colts Week 4 grades credited the unit with another step forward in London, even while acknowledging that Jones' struggles kept a dominant scoreline from materializing. Jonathan Taylor did the heavy lifting on the ground, rushing for two touchdowns and 95 yards to carry Indianapolis across the line.

For Jones and the win is meaningful — this team was 0-2 not long ago. But the path forward requires sharper decision-making from the man under center, and Steichen has made clear he expects it.

Elsewhere Around the League

Duke had a handful of other alumni on the field in Week 4. DeWayne Carter suited up for the Buffalo Bills in their 26-29 loss to the New England Patriots, with Sports Illustrated flagging him as one of three underrated Bills defenders positioned to capitalize on opposing quarterbacks' struggles this season. Noah Gray logged two receptions for 17 yards as the Kansas City Chiefs edged the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27. Graham Barton started at center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 14-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers — a Packers offensive line that now features fellow Duke alum Laken Tomlinson at left guard after Green Bay signed him off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Coach Matt LaFleur indicated the reshuffled line is trending toward stability, a development that bodes well for Tomlinson's standing in Green Bay.

The Duke pipeline in the NFL runs wide and deep — but this week, all roads led back to London and a quarterback with something to prove.