Who Should I Start? Daniel Jones or Rico Dowdle

Thursday, January 8, 7:27 PM

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team plans to re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) this offseason, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. "I'm looking at him both near and long [term]," Ballard said of Jones, adding, "When you're chasing the quarterback all the time, it makes it very hard. Your margin for error really shrinks down. And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he's at, where he's going. Yes, he's got the Achilles. But I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis." The 28-year-old tore his Achilles in Week 14, and the Colts ended up missing the playoffs after starting 8-2. Meanwhile, former first-rounder Anthony Richardson Sr.'s future in Indy is in question after losing the starting job to Jones and then suffering a season-ending orbital fracture in October. Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight picks in 13 starts before his season-ending Achilles tear. He proved in 2025 that he has QB1 upside in the Colts' offense, but his lengthy injury history makes him more of a QB2 target in fantasy drafts.

Sunday, January 11, 12:48 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who will be a free agent in March, said his decreased number of carries at the end of the season will impact his thinking in free agency, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Dowdle said he wants to go somewhere "where he can get the bulk of the carries." The 27-year-old was an unquestioned RB1 during the 2025 season when Chuba Hubbard missed time with an injury. However, Dowdle was involved in more of a timeshare late in the year following Hubbard's return, and he watched Hubbard score twice in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. He had only five rushing attempts for nine yards while adding one catch on two targets for six yards. In the final four regular-season games, Dowdle averaged only 3.3 yards per carry as his role shrank. It sounds as though Dowdle doesn't plan on signing in Carolina, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to land a lead-back role elsewhere in free agency.