Daniel Jones is following the Baker Mayfield/Sam Darnold path as a former top-10 pick to bounce back after inconsistency with his first NFL team. The Colts have reaped the benefits of their one-year Jones addition, and buzz is building — particularly after the team’s blockbuster trade that stripped away top draft assets — this partnership will continue.
The Colts are planning to make Jones a long-term offer, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Although extension talks have not begun yet, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds the quarterback “loves” Indianapolis and is pleased with his current situation. The seventh-year veteran chose the Colts over a better offer to remain with the Vikings, viewing this as the superior path to a starting role. He was proven correct, and the Colts are tied for the AFC’s best record — at 8-2 — in their bye week.
Seeing as the Colts dealt their 2026 and ’27 first-round picks for Sauce Gardner, it certainly seems like Jones’ bargaining position improved. Against all odds, Jones has found himself with leverage that could be comparable to where he stood with the Giants in 2023. While Jones negotiations have not yet started, discussions with the free agent-to-be should be expected soon.
Indianapolis both missed on its most recent first-round quarterback (Anthony Richardson) and has dealt away the top two assets to land another one. Although Jones did not come close to living up to his four-year, $160MM Giants accord, he asked for $47MM per year that offseason — a seminal period for that franchise. Jones’ positional value prompted GM Joe Schoen to prioritize him more than Saquon Barkley, talent disparity notwithstanding, and that led to a Barkley tag and 2024 free agency exit. The Giants’ decision to re-sign Jones backfired spectacularly, with Barkley joining the 2,000-yard club and driving the Eagles to a Super Bowl title — weeks after New York released Jones.
Jones was not believed to have created much distance from Richardson during their training camp competition, but he won the job and has certainly separated from the erratic top-five pick in-season. Jones ranks ninth in QBR, which represents a slip from where he was a few weeks ago but obviously a surprising placement given his standing throughout his second Giants contract and into free agency. Jones is playing out a one-year, $14MM contract; he is positioned to do much better in 2026.
The Colts appear “all in” on a long-term partnership with Jones, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes, citing Mayfield and Darnold’s deals as comps. Mayfield and Darnold signed near-identical contracts a year apart, and both have justified the payments.
Mayfield is on a three-year, $100MM deal that included $40MM at signing; Darnold is at three years, $100.5MM ($37.5MM at signing). Darnold’s hot Seattle start has left little to no suspense about him collecting an additional $17.5MM guaranteed in February. Jones’ shaky Giants tenure will logically give teams pause, but Fowler points to the QB being able to set his price point beyond where Mayfield and Darnold took the mid-tier QB market.
Jones, who used his dual-threat ability to pilot the Colts to a game-tying drive in the final second of their win in Berlin, leads the NFL in passing yards — with 2,659 and sits fourth in yards per attempt (8.3). Both numbers are out of step with the former No. 6 overall pick’s Giants work, which never featured a season north of 7.0 yards per pass or a yardage total beyond 3,300. Jones is on pace to blow past that yardage mark, and while the ex-Eli Manning successor did guide the Colts to wins over the Broncos and Chargers, tough tests against the Chiefs, Seahawks and 49ers remain. Two matchups against a formidable Texans defense are on Indy’s docket as well.
When the Colts traded Gardner, some around the league viewed it as a pledge they will re-sign Jones, ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes. We heard before the Gardner trade the Colts were interested in a post-2025 Jones relationship. Considering Jones’ struggles justifying his $40MM-AAV Giants accord and his health issues in the past, the Colts diving back in on a franchise-level contract for this particular player would appear risky. But this franchise has been starved for stability at the position post-Andrew Luck. By starting Jones over Richardson this year, the Colts joined only Washington (2017-24) by using an eighth Week 1 QB1 in nine-season span. Jones has also given Indy’s homegrown core a return to relevance.
Controlling owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon signed off on Chris Ballard‘s Gardner swap, encouraging her GM to secure a long-term fix for the team’s boundary cornerback issue rather than a stopgap solution. The Colts failed with QB stopgaps in Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan, and even though their hopeful long-term fix in Richardson appears a failure in progress, the team’s Gardner play points to Jones being given another lucrative contract.
Jones playing hardball with the Giants in 2023 provides a sign where his Indy negotiations could go, and that will be an interesting storyline to follow as free agency nears. But he and MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor have the Colts in first place in scoring this season. It is possible Ballard has made a determination on his quarterback, and Jones’ resurgence is on track to save the GM and HC Shane Steichen‘s jobs.
Even though the Colts have hurdles to clear as they pursue their first playoff bye since 2009, the team is on track for its first AFC South title since 2014. A reward payment for Jones appears to be expected in the not-too-distant future. The Colts have until the mid-March legal tampering period to negotiate exclusively with Jones, whose Giants deal came days before the 2023 legal tampering period.
If this guy convinces another franchise that he’s “Him” … lmao
Maybe it was the coaches and not him. His previous coaches are gone and they didn’t help his successors, either. And here he is having a career year. Personally I wouldn’t go all in, but he seems to be excelling in his new environment and perhaps that’s all he needed.
Best RB and top 3 o-line in football not to mention an up and down cupcake division and some of the best stats and win % of his young 7 year career? Danny Boy would be a king of fools to turn down a quality offer there
A QB doesn’t have to worry much about inclement weather inside a dome either.
Bingo! That too!
He doubled his season INTs when they finally played a Defense
They’re playing MUCH tougher teams the 2nd half
He better give Jonathan Taylor a nice cut.
A RB who can average 114 yards a game would make any QBs job easier.
Still 7 or more games to worry about. All in good time
Hahahaha..
Awesome. As long as that long term offer coincides with however long they think John Taylor has?
I mean they can’t honestly think Danny Dimes has anything to do with this false run? Taylor runs that wagon. Hopefully the colts are this dumb.
Yep. Sounds a lot like fool’s gold.
I am of the belief that Taylor is running wild because the QB now is a threat. It goes both ways. You need both to be a really good team.
Don’t do it! We’ve seen this before!
What is their alternative? Richardson sucks. They don’t have the draft capital to get a blue chip QB in the draft. Should they look for the next Daniel Jones they can pay $10 million per season for?
I guess they could go get Mac Jones from the 49ers. But, like you said, the Colts don’t have much of a choice.
Ask the Vikings if they want Sam Darnold back
Colts don’t have a choice here
will be a shame when the clock strikes midnight.. and he turns back into a giant overpriced pumpkin
By the last two weeks, it’s about 11:45pm…
Some of the dumbest comments I’ve ever seen . A 8-2 team , highest scoring team , tied for best record in nfl and people say oh easy schedule this , its only cause of jonathan taylor . Hate to tell all of you , but taylor was there last year . The year before that . The before that etc etc and this is the best this team has looked since Payton manning . Stope being so jealous and salty and appreciate talent , a good team , exciting football when its right in front of your face . You all sound like bitter children who didn’t get a candy bar after having a meltdown at the check out …
“Hate to tell all of you , but taylor was there last year .”
The Colts went 6-5 with Anthony Richardson as their QB last year. *Anthony Richardson*. Jones is a decent QB being lifted up by a good OL, solid defense, the best RB in football, and one of the easiest schedules in the league. Four of their games have been against teams .500 or better and they’re 2-2 against them, with one of the wins (a home game) because the Broncos committed a 15 yard Leverage penalty on a missed GW field goal attempt (ie, they could very easily be 1-3 against even decent teams).
Colts would be *very* wise to wait and see how the season shakes out. Jones right now is not worth a long-term commitment and it’s worth taking the risk that he signs elsewhere in the offseason.
That’s what the Vikings said about Darnold. Now look at him. Bottom line is Jones has been a good fit there. It’s more of an embarrassment to the Giants than anything.
Not really. He had 6 seasons in NY and was almost mediocre. He’s surrounded by all that talent in Indy. I like the guy, but let’s not get carried away.
Nobody predicted a AFC Championship game where both teams could come from the group of NE, IND and DEN in the pre-season.
Ehhh we know that Jones has his limitations, but let’s not pretend that he’s not been great for Indianapolis this year. How repeatable is this with another QB, and how many of us are judging Jones based on his Giants tenure? Jones could be worth it, he could not be, but the fact of the matter is that he is what the Colts have in hand. They spent a lot of time trying to find a QB since Luck’s retirement, and outside of one good year with Rivers and a few good games with Wentz, it’s been mostly disappointing. If Jones can give them some stability, who are we to tell them to dump him and to wade back into that pool of disappointment?
At the very least, in the worst case interpretation, Jones can hold them down while they plug some holes long term. From my perspective, Indy’s been trying for some time, and had tried very different strategies on signing accomplished vets and drafting high picks. Nothing has worked until now. They may has well give it a shot-so long as Steichen wants to, which seems likely.
Great is thrown around a lot. Jones IMO isn’t. He needs to show me something more than this.
He’s been great this one year. All time great, no, but yeah, it’s fair to say that he’s been one of the top five QBs in football this year. That qualifies as great, at least one a year to year basis, if not on an overall one.
As soon as the Colts sign him to that long term high value contract with a large guaranteed amount of money, the clock will strike midnight and Jones will turn back into a pumpkin. Then the Colts will have to deal with the check down, turnover machine he really is. How do I know? Seen it before. Good luck Colts.
Kick rocks nostradamus
Beat Falcons, sign extension ASAP.
Varied opinions here yet I’ll agree the Colts are a pretty complete team this year. Good enough o-line, top RB, decent 2way QB making pretty good decisions, D that’s playing better each week, brought in help (a bit expensive) from the Jets.
They’ve the coach to take em farther and seems the new owner isn’t her fathers ‘clone’, made some decent decisions while being watchful and only steppin up when it’s needed.
Not a Colts fan, per se, though would be pleased with the ‘state of the franchise’ if I were!
I’m still cautious to see how Irsay-Gordon’s involvement will turn out, but yes, it looks much more positive at the moment. She at least has said the right things publically and the stories about her involvement have been good. Eventually, though, she is going to disagree with one or more of her football people-we’ll see how that gets handled then. It may turn out well, of course, but I’m always cautious when it comes to owners getting involved at such a clip.
Indiana Jones being better than Captain Self Checkout shouldn’t have been as big of a surprise as it has. The nickname upgrade alone from Danny Dimes to I.J doesn’t get enough recognition.
Don’t see NE, IND OR DEN in AFC Championship game.
More likely KC, BUF, OR BAL.
Indy had a playoff caliber team two or three years ago, where Minshew missed the pass vs HOU late in the game to get them in. Richardson was downright awful. Now add Jones and Warren while Taylor keeps running strong, this isn’t any surprise.
Extension – how about wait until after KC/SEA/SF and see where the team is? If all goes great, then an extension, especially as SF is Dec. 23. Could make for a Merry Christmas for all if things continue as is.
Pro Football Focus ran a story about how Pitt/ATL crowded the check-down zones, looking to force Jones downfield – hoping he would hold the ball and take sacks… Kinda worked…