The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2026 NFL offseason needing to make a decision about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones.
After signing Jones last offseason to a one-year deal in free agency, the Colts liked what they saw from him in 2025. Unfortunately, his season came to an end early after he went down with a torn Achilles.
Before suffering that injury, Jones played in 13 games. He completed 68 percent of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while also running for 164 yards and five more touchdowns.
Jones was a free agent entering the offseason. Indianapolis moved quickly to lock him in. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a massive two-year, $88 million contract.
Whether or not the move will pay off remains to be seen. It’s a big risk for Indianapolis, but Jones showed the potential of being a legitimate franchise quarterback before the injury occurred.
Colts Under Fire After Huge Daniel Jones Contract Decision
Chris Ballard and the Colts may be confident in Jones’ ability to be their starter moving forward. Not everyone agrees with the contract the team gave him.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has named the move as one of the worst of the NFL offseason.
“Maybe Jones will be ready for Week 1 despite the severity of the injury. Maybe he can repeat last year’s success despite his struggles in New York. Maybe he’s the next Sam Darnold,” Davenport wrote.
“Or maybe the Colts should have let Jones play out the 2026 season on the transition tag while they saw how all those ‘maybes’ played out.”
Last season, Jones faced a lot of doubt as well. After his rocky tenure with the New York Giants, no one could be blamed for having reservations about the quarterback. However, after the way he played in 2025, Indianapolis feels good about its decision.
Indianapolis Has Had a Wild NFL Offseason So Far
Outside of the Jones move, the Colts have been very busy this offseason.
Along with re-signing Jones, the team also brought back wide receiver Alec Pierce. In order to make that move happen, they had to pay out a four-year deal worth $114 million.
Plenty of other moves have been made as well. Indianapolis traded star linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and added pieces like defensive end Arden Key, defensive end Micheal Clemons, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, among others.
Most recently, the Colts have been hit with a trade request from cornerback Kenny Moore.
Only time will tell how the team’s offseason moves pan out. Indianapolis has taken some risk this offseason and still has holes to fill. However, the Colts looked like one of the best teams in the NFL during the first half of the 2025 season and may not be far off from Super Bowl contention.
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