The Indianapolis fire sale could indeed extend to the man who was supposed to become a franchise quarterback there.

According to ESPNFL, the Colts have engaged in trade talks this week regarding Daniel Jones, speaking to “multiple teams.”

The precise language of the report identifies only one team as actually talking to the Colts. From the article, the Ravens “were one team to check in on Jones.” The Ravens ultimately struck a deal with the Cardinals for quarterback Jacoby Brissett, whose plunge from No. 1 to No. 3 on the depth chart made it clear to the rest of the league that he was available.

The only other team mentioned by name is the Vikings, and the report points only to "[s]peculation” involving Minnesota. (We’ve been “speculating” about it since the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s loss by the Vikings in Detroit.)

Past ESPNFL reporting on a potential trade for running back Jonathan Taylor ultimately listed five teams as talking to the Colts (Giants, Seahawks, Broncos, Packers, Vikings). The fact that other teams weren’t mentioned as to Jones suggests that, frankly, there may not be other teams.

Really, which current contender would want him? The Vikings are the only potential playoff team that checks the box as possibly needing a starter right now. And only the Vikings and Giants are contenders with which Jones has direct experience. (The Giants wouldn’t want a Jones reunion, and Jones surely wouldn’t want it, either.)

That could change this weekend, obviously. One injury to a starter could alter the dynamics, spurring another contender to pick up the phone and make a push for Jones. The most memorable example of that came 15 years ago, when a broken collarbone to Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell prompted a quick deal for Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who had decided he didn’t want to play for the team that had drafted him — and who had yet to report.

Three years ago, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins popped an Achilles tendon two days before the deadline, forcing the Vikings to scramble at the deadline to do a deal with the Cardinals for quarterback Josh Dobbs.

Absent a multi-week injury to a starting quarterback on a contender that doesn’t believe its backup can hold down the fort, the Vikings may be the only team that wants Jones at the deadline.

The preferences of Daniel Jones become a factor, too. If (as we firmly believe) he’s not happy that the Colts folded the tents by trading guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner after a 2-5 start that included an overtime loss to the Chiefs and a toe-to-toe battle with the then-unbeaten Vikings, Jones would have a clear interest in hopping to a contender.

The Vikings wanted to keep Jones after the 2024 season. He opted to sign with the Colts in part because he saw a more realistic path to winning the job over 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis than 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy in Minneapolis. If he’s told that a return to Minnesota would include being installed immediately as QB1, he’d surely prefer that to a lost season with the Colts.

Andd Jones has power over this process. Beyond the basic reality that no team wants a starting quarterback who doesn’t want to play for it, the 2027 roster bonus and base salary that become fully guaranteed in March ($10.51 million) are currently guaranteed for injury. The ESPNFL article mentions that Jones could waive the injury guarantee in order to expedite a deal.

The reverse of that (Jones refusing to waive the injury guarantee) means that Jones could block a trade, if avoiding a potential eight-figure guarantee for 2027 is a dealbreaker for his prospective employer.

Our guess? Right now, only the Vikings currently have interest in Jones. And a trade for Jones becomes a very viable possibility if the Vikings lose to the Bills on Monday with Carson Wentz playing quarterback.

Given the possibility that another team will emerge as a competitor to get Jones, it’s also possible that the Vikings have already decided to trade for Jones after Monday night’s game — win or lose — and that the two teams have agreed to keep it under wraps until Week 9 ends.

Either way, if the oft-injured Jones plays on Sunday against the Cowboys and gets injured, that would kill any chance to trade him. That makes it important to monitor Sunday’s game carefully. If the Colts apply a quick hook to Jones, it could mean that he’s already gone.