I am not sure many of us thought the Indianapolis Colts were going to be this good when the 2025 NFL Season began, but the vision that Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen have for this team has come alive. It's crazy to think that all it took was a cast-off QB, but here we are.
What's abundantly clear at the moment is how many 'reclamation project' quarterbacks are thriving in their second chances. Daniel Jones has joined other QBs like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, who are playing career-best football years into their careers.
Both Darnold and Mayfield have also earned long-term deals and heavy paydays from their respective teams, and as long as this operation does not go off the rails, the Colts could be the next team to successfully fix a broken QB, but what might a contract extension look like for Daniel Jones?
GM Chris Ballard has a clear blueprint for a Daniel Jones' contract extension
It only makes sense for the conversation to start by looking at the deals for Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, which are below:
Mayfield: three years, $100 million ($33.3m per year)
Darnold: three years, $100.5 million ($33.5m per year)
With cap space in the NFL generally increasing big-time each year, the Colts could perhaps throw this offer on the table for Daniel Jones, but it's pretty easy to see a scenario where Jones inks a deal worth a bit more.
I do believe a three-year pact is smart, allowing for an out after two years. At the end of the day, while Daniel Jones has been great this year, there's always a chance that he could revert to the days that got him cut from the New York Giants mid-season back in 2024.
The Colts still have to make this a bit of a business decision while rewarding the player, so the contract should benefit both the player and the team. If I had to guess, based on the two contracts mentioned above, a deal coming in at three years and worth, roughly, $35-$37 million per year feels right.
The cap space for each team will increase, and the 5-1 Colts seem to have a legitimate shot at making a deep playoff run, and at least winning the division. Heck, as long as Indy gets into the playoffs this year, Daniel Jones is going to stick around.
Would this contract make sense for Jones and the Colts?
three years, $108 million ($36m per year)
This deal one-ups the contracts that Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield signed, but it also still rewards Jones and keeps the Colts in a smart financial state.