Decision, decisions. The Indianapolis Colts have many decisions to make, and most of them revolve around what to do with quarterback Daniel Jones. If ESPN NFL insider Peter Schrager is correct, though, Jones could find his way back to the Minnesota Vikings.
The move, while not great for Indy, would make sense, and the possibility cannot be fully ruled out. By 4 pm ET on Tuesday, Colts fans should know whether to be nervous about Schrager's reporting or can completely dismiss it.
That day and time is when general manager Chris Ballard has the deadline to decide whether to place the transition or franchise tag on the quarterback, or to work out a long-term deal with Danny Dimes. If the franchise tag or a new contract is worked out, all is good. Otherwise, changes could be afoot.
ESPN NFL insider suggests Daniel Jones could leave the Indianapolis Colts for the Vikings
The transition tag would allow Jones and his agent to still discuss a potential new contract with other teams. Should the quarterback agree to one in principle (he cannot officially sign elsewhere until the start of the new fiscal year for the NFL, which is Wednesday, March 11) with another team, Indianapolis would get nothing back in return.
The plus for the Colts in using the transition tag is that it gives the team the right to match any deal Jones might find elsewhere, and it means Indianapolis will have the quarterback negotiate his value on the open market. Of course, the difference between the transition tag and the franchise tag is only $6 million, so the Colts could do that for not much more money.
According to what Schrager said on ESPN's Get Up program and assuming Indy uses the transition tag and not the franchise tag, "There's also another team that's lingering (in free agency). The transition tag does mean some other team can make an offer, the Colts would just have the last opportunity to match that offer...The team I would watch as a possible long shot, but also one that could be angling here is the Minnesota Vikings."
Schrager moves on to point out that Jones did spend the last couple of months of the 2024 season with Minnesota after being released by his first team, the New York Giants. The Vikings understand what Jones is capable of, and the quarterback would know Minnesota's system.
The issue may be that the Vikings would have to commit to Daniel Jones as the starter when he is able to return from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Week 14 of this past season. Currently, J.J. McCarthy, an ascending third-year pro, would be set as Minnesota's QB1. Jones would not want to have a quarterback battle once he is cleared to return to football.
This could all be moot by what the Indianapolis Colts do by 4 pm ET on Tuesday. If the team doesn't want the quarterback to leave, placing the franchise tag or inking Jones to a new deal is the way to go. Otherwise, losing Daniel Jones is a real possibility.