The Indianapolis Colts saw more than enough from Daniel Jones in 13 games to realize he was their best bet back to contention. That's why they made it their No. 1 offseason priority to keep him in town; it didn't matter what it took.
The Colts used the $37.8 million transition tag on Jones before signing him to a two-year, $88 million contract. They protected themselves by giving him most of the money up front so they could move on from him if things didn't work out next season, which was a smart move. However, they may have taken a safer approach to negotiations.
At least, that's how some decision-makers around the league feel. In a report by Mike Sando of The Athletic (subscription required), several NFL executives questioned the Colts' approach to Daniel Jones' free agency, wondering whether they could've gotten him under more favorable terms.
NFL executives were torn by the Indianapolis Colts' approach to Daniel Jones' free agency
One executive believes the Colts should've let Jones test the market. They wouldn't have faced much competition from contending teams, given that only the hard-capped Minnesota Vikings could've tried to steal him from them:
“You probably had a natural transition tag anyway, because Daniel wasn’t going anywhere without checking with you first,” one exec told Sando. “It’s not like he wanted to go to the Jets. The Vikings had no ability to sign high-priced players, so they weren’t really a factor.”
Another executive claimed the Colts may not have used their leverage smartly there. Even if they got on the hook for more years by matching a better offer, they could've still gotten rid of him after two years without having to use the transition tag on him:
“Let’s say another team offers him $50 million a year over four years, and $110 million is fully guaranteed,” another exec said. “What is worse: That awful deal where you are tied to him for $110 million for the next two years, or what you just did? Your downside is an extra $15-20 million over two years, but at least you get him for two more years on the back end.”
At the end of the day, Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard, and the ownership clearly believe in him. He looked solid when he was healthy, leading the team to an 8-5 record and completing 68.0 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards, 24 total touchdowns (19 passing), and eight interceptions.
There weren't many other alternatives in the market, and with no first-round pick and zero confidence in Anthony Richardson, they essentially bet against them.
Jones has a history of injuries, inconsistency, and comical mistakes, but the talent is there. It's hard to judge a quarterback who was never put in a position to succeed in New York, and Sam Darnold just reminded everyone how much being in the right environment can do for a talented but struggling quarterback.
Still, it feels like this team could've found ways to keep Jones and re-sign Alec Pierce without having to trade Michael Pittman Jr. Only time will tell if they made the right call, and this is the type of offseason that could either cost a GM his job or get him an extension.