Barkley celebrates Jones’s Colts rebirth as ex-Giants duo finds success apart

Philadelphia Eagles running back and 2024 Super Bowl champion Saquon Barkley praised Daniel Jones after Jones beat out Anthony Richardson for the Indianapolis starting job and helped the Colts move to 2-0. Barkley told CBS Sports this week, "Daniel Jones! Let’s go! That’s my dawg!" and added that he’s been trying to FaceTime his former quarterback more often because Jones texts that Barkley rarely answers his phone calls.

Jones is starting for the Colts after beating out Richardson and has Indianapolis off to a 2-0 start. In Week 2, he completed 23 of 34 passes for 316 yards with a touchdown in a 29-28 win at Lucas Oil Stadium, a performance Barkley said he was excited to see from the player he knows well. "The fact that he’s off to a hot start… Seeing what he went through throughout camp, battling with [Richardson] over there, I was super excited for him to win that starting job," Barkley told CBS Sports. "To go out there and play at a high level now and get to show people the player that I know, the person that I know."

Jones’ breakthrough season with the Giants came in 2022, when the team went to the playoffs and Jones threw for 3,205 yards on 317 completions with an NFL-low interception rate of 1.1 percent. Those performances helped him secure a four-year, $160 million contract extension with New York. Barkley had a standout year as well that season, rushing for 1,312 yards. In 2024, Barkley added a new level of achievement, helping the Eagles win the franchise’s latest Super Bowl title and, in the process, setting a staggering benchmark by racking up 2,504 yards, including the playoffs, the NFL single-season rushing record.

Although it is early, Jones appears to be building momentum in Indianapolis. Barkley expressed confidence that Jones can sustain success, even aside from his own team and the Eagles. "Outside of the Philadelphia Eagles and myself, I don’t want anyone else to perform at a high level besides Daniel Jones," Barkley said. "I’m a big believer in anything. It might not happen in football, but the way he carries himself and the way that he works and the way that he competes — it’s gonna show at some point. Happy that’s starting to show right now."

Jones’ next challenge will be the Tennessee Titans (0-2) on Sunday at 1 p.m., a test that could further define whether his early hot stretch with the Colts is a longer-term turning point in his career. The remarks from Barkley underscore a rare moment of cross-candid admiration between former Giants teammates who found success in different uniforms, but remain linked by their shared history and competitive drive.