It was the subject of much scrutiny, but the Indianapolis Colts do not believe the start to the 2025 season was a fluke. After mortgaging their future by trading two first-round picks to acquire Sauce Gardner, it looks like the organization is doubling down.
This offseason, after giving a four-year, $116 million extension to Alec Pierce, they have now decided to bring back Daniel Jones. But for the football world at large, the decision remains questionable.
Colts Get Blasted for New Daniel Jones Contract
Taking a swing at Jones in free agency last season, the Colts exploded to an 8-2 start and looked like one of the premier threats out of the AFC. However, an Achilles injury to the former first-round pick derailed the season entirely.
As a result, the trade for Sauce Gardner did not pan out as they had hoped. Still, the team believes their formula for success is repeatable. Early in the offseason, they gave Pierce a lucrative extension, which makes him one of the top 10 highest-paid wide receivers in the league.
Now, they’ve signed Jones on a two-year, $88 million deal, replacing the transition tag they had placed on him earlier this summer. Ranked in the top-five of PFSN’s QB Impact, it seems like a potentially good deal. But the rest of the league does not agree.
More contract details, per sources: Daniel Jones will earn $50M in 2026 before incentives, a $12.2M increase from the transition tag he would have otherwise played on — and $38M in 2027 before incentives, with $10M guaranteed. https://t.co/xfZJWmlR1h
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 11, 2026
Nico, who remains a valuable social media presence on X, criticized the Colts for the contract amount. “I do not understand what the Colts are doing. No one was offering DJ this much in the open market. Should’ve gone after Kyler first.”
Kyler Murray, the former first overall pick who fell out of favor with the Arizona Cardinals, is currently a free agent. With far more pedigree and a higher ceiling, alongside incredible upside as a dual-threat quarterback, it was hard not to view him as a more lucrative talent for Indianapolis to potentially go after at a much lower price.
He wasn’t the only one who was against Jones getting a new deal. Even the Savage Boston group couldn’t believe the terms of the contract, which could give him $100 million if all the incentives kick in. “lol. Jones got his 50 million. Wow.”
Prominent New York Giants personality, Marshall Green, expressed his relief. “I thank my lucky stars every day that he is no longer a Giant.” Spending six seasons with the franchise, Jones wasn’t the superstar many in New York once believed he could be.
Minnesota Vikings super fan, Ted Schwerz, could not contain his shock over the move, comparing it to the deal Sam Darnold got after a markedly better season with the Vikings. “I like Daniel Jones, but getting more than Darnold and coming off a torn Achilles is crazy!”
Signed to a deal that had him earning less than $35 million per year, Darnold, the former third overall pick, was able to bring far more value than his contract for the Seattle Seahawks, leading them to a victory in Super Bowl 60 in his first season with the franchise.
The jokes, too, started flowing in quickly, with Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic dropping a zinger comparing Jones to another former Vikings quarterback in Kirk Cousins.
Has Daniel Jones officially lapped Kirk Cousins as a businessman?
– Has only had two true good seasons in seven years — and always right before he’s due to get paid.
– Gets hurt every year.
– About to make $40M+ per year for the second time.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) March 11, 2026
For a player who’s recorded just one playoff appearance in his career, played more than 13 games in a season only twice, and has thrown for just 89 touchdowns against 55 interceptions, the larger NFL world doesn’t see it as a good deal.
However, not everyone was against the idea for Indianapolis. Benjamin Solak of ESPN had some hefty praise for the organization, claiming, “Hats off to Chris Ballard. Pierce extension into Pittman trade into short-term Jones deal was the best realistic outcome for the Colts and he got it done.”
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Jones finished last season as the fifth-best quarterback in the league with an impact score of 86.7.
It remains to be seen if the variety of moves they’ve made this offseason can pan out. But after ending the 2025 season on a seven-game losing streak, the decision-makers have a lot to do to sell the idea to the fan base of what an eerily similar roster can accomplish.
