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Taking Calls, Saying No: The Daniel Jones Contradiction

November 8, 2026

On Sunday, November 8, Daniel Jones was slated to start at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts against the Dallas Cowboys.1 Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday, November 7, that Indianapolis has engaged in trade discussions on Jones, has taken calls from multiple teams, and is willing to listen to offers.1 Tom Pelissero reported the same day that the Colts have told interested teams they are not trading Jones.4 As of Sunday, November 8, no deal has been agreed; the deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 3:00 PM Central.6

On the radar

Jones entered the deadline reporting on Wednesday, November 4.2 Jeremy Fowler of ESPN had Jones on the radar as a trade candidate, and Schefter had raised Minnesota on his podcast as a team that could consider Jones, who spent part of the 2024 season on the Vikings' practice squad.2 Indianapolis had fired general manager Chris Ballard, and the Colts were expected to make more moves before November 10.2 Indianapolis had already traded guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco on October 27.7 The November 4 reporting also had Baltimore as a possible suitor, with the Ravens finalizing a trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett that week.2

Saturday, November 7: the Schefter and Rapoport report

Schefter and Rapoport reported on Saturday, November 7, that Indianapolis has engaged in trade discussions regarding Jones and has received calls from multiple teams, and that the Colts have been willing to listen to any offers.1 The report put two limits on that openness. Indianapolis had waited until deadline week to ponder a Jones trade, and the Colts are not interested in moving players unless they believe the offers are fair.1 The stated aims were draft capital and reducing financial risks, and Indianapolis was expected to keep taking calls through the deadline on Tuesday, November 10, at 4:00 PM Eastern.1

One caller was named. The Baltimore Ravens checked in on Jones before they traded for Jacoby Brissett, who went from Arizona to Baltimore in a deal announced Friday, November 6, with Baltimore sending a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick and receiving Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick.179 Minnesota was named as speculation in the same report. Jones spent part of 2024 on Minnesota's practice squad,2 and the report said Minnesota should not be ruled out as a destination; no Vikings call to Indianapolis was reported.1

Through November 7, Jones was Indianapolis's starting quarterback, and the Colts were 2-6 with four straight losses. Through eight games, Jones has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,542 yards, five touchdowns, and nine interceptions.3 Jones signed a two-year, $88 million contract with Indianapolis in March 2026, and his 2026 base salary is $5.49 million, which puts an acquiring team's remaining cost this season under $3 million.23 A $10.51 million injury guarantee for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed on March 15, 2027, if Jones is still on the Colts' roster,1 and Schefter and Rapoport reported the prospect of Jones waiving that guarantee to facilitate a trade has come up.2

Saturday, November 7: the counter-report

Pelissero's report ran on Saturday, November 7, and stated the opposite position.4 The Colts have told interested teams they are not trading Jones, per Pelissero,4 and the Vikings have not seriously discussed trading for a quarterback.8 The two reports were both published on November 7. Schefter and Rapoport described a team taking calls and listening; Pelissero described the same team telling callers no. Neither report named a price for Jones, and neither carried a team or player statement settling the difference.14

Sunday, November 8: Minnesota named again

Rapoport returned to Jones on NFL GameDay Kickoff on Sunday, November 8.5 Jones is the subject of trade calls, per Rapoport, who repeated that Baltimore called before the Brissett trade.5 Rapoport said he would consider the Vikings a team to watch before the November 10 deadline.5 The November 8 report carried no Vikings call, no terms, and did not resolve either of the November 7 reports.5 Rapoport noted Minnesota's game on Monday night, November 9, which puts any Jones deal with the Vikings on deadline day itself, Tuesday, November 10.5

Sunday, November 8: Indianapolis tells Jones he is staying

Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday, November 8, that Indianapolis informed Daniel Jones on Saturday, November 7, that the Colts will not trade him before the deadline on Tuesday, November 10.10 Teams called and the Colts listened, but Indianapolis never had any intention of moving Jones, per Pelissero.10 The November 8 report carries the team-to-player notification the November 7 reports lacked: Schefter and Rapoport described Indianapolis taking calls and listening on November 7, Pelissero described Indianapolis telling callers no the same day, and Pelissero reported on November 8 that Indianapolis had told Jones himself on November 7 that he will not be traded.

Jones has no trade in the site's database, so a Jones trade before the November 10 deadline starts a new tree.

Sources

  1. ESPN — Sources: Colts engaged in Daniel Jones trade talks (Nov 7, 2026) — Schefter and Rapoport: discussions engaged, multiple teams calling, willingness to listen, Baltimore's check-in, Minnesota as speculation, the guarantee-waiver prospect, Jones slated to start against Dallas on Sunday, November 8
  2. Pro Football Rumors — Daniel Jones — the Nov 4 item (Fowler: Jones on the radar; Schefter's podcast raising Minnesota; Ballard fired; Baltimore and the Brissett trade) and the Nov 7 item (Baltimore's check-in and the contract figures, via Schefter and Rapoport; Pelissero: the Colts are not interested in moving Jones)
  3. New York Post — Colts having discussions with multiple teams over Daniel Jones (Nov 7, 2026) — the 2-6 record, four straight losses, Jones's eight-game line, and the March signing
  4. Sports Illustrated — Trade talks are heating up for Daniel Jones (Nov 7, 2026) — Pelissero: the Colts told interested teams they are not trading Jones
  5. Athlon Sports — Ian Rapoport's latest Daniel Jones trade update (Nov 8, 2026) — Rapoport on NFL GameDay Kickoff: trade calls, Baltimore's earlier call, Minnesota a team to watch, the Monday night timing
  6. USA Today — When is the NFL trade deadline? (Nov 3, 2026) — Tuesday, November 10, 4:00 PM Eastern
  7. ESPN — 2026 NFL trade deadline updates (living tracker) — Nelson to Seattle and Buckner to San Francisco on Oct 27; Brissett to Baltimore (Ravens get Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick; Cardinals get a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick)
  8. Minnesota Sports Fan — Top insider reports clash on Vikings' QB trade targets (Nov 7, 2026) — Pelissero (The Sweep) quoted: the Vikings "have not seriously discussed trading for a QB"
  9. NBC Sports (Pro Football Talk) — Ravens, Cardinals announce Jacoby Brissett trade (Nov 6, 2026) — the trade announced Friday, November 6; Schefter's terms: a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick to Arizona for Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick
  10. NBC Sports — Report: Colts tell Jones they are not trading him (Nov 8, 2026) — Pelissero: the Colts informed Jones on Saturday, November 7, that they are not trading him by Tuesday's deadline; teams called and the Colts listened, but they never had any intention of moving him, and Jones is staying in Indianapolis

About this article: it was drafted with AI assistance from the Football Trade Trees database and public reporting, then reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Email [email protected].