The Indianapolis Colts knew Anthony Richardson was not going to take this team to the Super Bowl in 2025, but they had all the pieces to make a deep playoff run. During the offseason, Colts fans let out a collective moan after the Colts signed Daniel Jones to a $14 million deal.
While Colts' fans have been cautiously optimistic about the play of Daniel Jones, has he earned the privilege of a long-term deal to stay in Indianapolis for 4+ years? The two seasons have been up and down for the Colts as they finished 8-9 and 9-8. Steichen has taken the brunt of the criticism as the team has not had a long-term answer since the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck.
This season, the Colts front office chose to give a 'prove-it' deal to Jones after his departure in New York. While Jones was not an elite player, it didn't help that the team around him was lacking talent, and his failure was cemented once Saquon Barkley left. However, Ballard and Steichen understood that all he needed was a legitimate team around him, and he would excel.
The Indianapolis Colts were the perfect place for Jones to land
The Colts' offense has been an unstoppable force and an immovable object in the same breath. Indianapolis has the league's best passer, rusher, and tight end based on yards. While recent weeks have shown they are not the 2013 Broncos with Peyton Manning at the helm, they have proven they are effective in any game situation.
With the recent trade for Sauce Gardner, the Colts have all but expressed that they believe Daniel Jones is the long-term solution at quarterback. Leveraging two first-round picks in back-to-back years is an expensive price to pay for a cornerback, but the team is in 'win now' mode.
With players like Alec Pierce getting top dollar in a year where there aren't many big-name free agents likely to hit the market, Jones could get $40 million a year to stay in Indianapolis.
But the biggest question is, has Daniel Jones earned a spot in Indianapolis for the long term? The Vikings are a good litmus test since last year they went 14-3, let Sam Darnold walk in favor of J.J. McCarthy, and look where they are now? Darnold is proving his one year in Minnesota was not a fluke, having an MVP season in Seattle.
Moving on from Daniel Jones would be a massive mistake for the Colts. The top QBs predicted to hit the market are below average at best. Players like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Zach Wilson, Brock Purdy, and Joe Flacco, amongst them, none of whom inspire confidence to perform better than Daniel Jones.
The best option is for the Colts to sign Jones to a long-term deal before he hits the market in March '26. According to Spotrac, Jones is valued at just over $46 million per year. Considering his performance this season, I don't see why Ballard wouldn't pull that trigger and get him under contract through 2030.