Daniel Jones has signed 2 yr 88m contract

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Racehorse

I think he was waiting for the chance to push in all the chips. With how the team looked before his injury, this looks like the time to do it.

There is a lot of offseason left, but if he’s finally pushing in all of his chips he’s got some work to do.

[Oldcolt]

As a contrarian i don't think not having a first round draft choice has anything to do at all with us signing Jones. We have needed a QB for a decade, have had all our first round draft picks and have used exactly two (trade for Wentz and AR) on a QB and both failed spectacularly. We have been inept at evaluating and drafting at this position for a long time.

[Oldcolt]

Originally Posted by rm1369

There is a lot of offseason left, but if he’s finally pushing in all of his chips he’s got some work to do.

At this point we have lost more on defense than we have added and we still have no pass rush. Like m1369 said there is a ton of offseason left but there is a lot of work that needs to be done.

[Puck]

https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/2...689018295?s=20


Pat McAfee
@PatMcAfeeShow
·
Apr 14
"Daniel Jones was at the Masters walking around"

I LOVE THAT JIM NANTZ #PMSLive

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by Puck

"Daniel Jones was at the Masters, walking around.’

o


That's a little vague.

In other breaking news, Jonathan Taylor had a protein shake and a big glass of Gatorade yesterday afternoon.

o

[Puck]

https://x.com/HolderStephen/status/2...299209248?s=20

Stephen Holder
@HolderStephen
Colts HC Shane Steichen says QB Daniel Jones is back to throwing and is performing dropbacks as well, another step forward in his comeback from a torn Achilles.
12:29 PM · Apr 21, 2026
·
37.7K
Views

[Colts And Orioles]

o


2026 NFL Free Agency Grades: Dexter Lawrence II, Kirk Cousins

(By Seth Walder and Ben Solak)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-draft-outlook




The Colts Re-Sign QB Daniel Jones


Terms: ) 2 Years / $88 Million / $50 Million Fully Guaranteed


Grade: ) B



Jones' time in New York ended in a mess for the Giants because the team opted not to give him the franchise tag in the 2023 offseason, instead guaranteeing him $81 Million. And I was worried that the Colts might make the same mistake. They fared better, though.

Like 3 years ago, Jones is coming off of a season in which he played well. Like then, there are still questions about what his true ability is and now increased concerns about his injury risk.

The Colts opted to place a transition tag on Jones that would have paid him $37.8 Million if he wasn't signed by another team and played on it. The trickier part of the equation is that Jones is coming off an Achilles tear which could affect his availability ...... and/or his play ...... in 2026. So for the Colts to bring him back, it makes sense they would want to control his rights in 2027, too. That's true, even though ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that Jones is now expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.

But the Colts did much better than the Giants when it came to guarantees. We don't know the exact structure of the deal yet, but with $50 million fully guaranteed, the Colts seemed to turn a one-year, $38 Million transition tag contract into what can either be a one-year, $50 Million deal or a 2-year, $88 Million deal -- and the choice is theirs. Once they had decided to go the transition tag route (I'm not sure they had to), then that's a trade-off worth making. The grade above is a reflection of their decision to sign this deal given that they had already placed the tag on him.

Had Jones insisted on a higher level of guarantee, Indianapolis would have been advised to limit the downside and have him play on the transition tag. But this is a middle ground that works for all parties. Jones gets a little more money locked in, and the Colts will have a quarterback at a reasonable price for two seasons if he can recover from his Achilles injury and get back to his 2025 level of play.

That last part is no certainty.

Jones had a great season with the Colts. In 13 games he recorded a QBR of 63.0 (8th best) and a completion percentage over expected of plus-3% (6th best.) In a change from the past, he was also able to limit his sacks taken with a 5.2% sack rate (11th lowest.)

But he was also supported by a great running game. The Colts ranked first in EPA per designed rush and relied heavily on play-action (35% play-action rate, 2nd highest). And fumbling remained an issue for Jones, with a 1.7% fumble rate (2nd highest among quarterbacks) that is on par with his career average.

And we can't throw out Jones' past play, either. Over 16 starts in 2023 and 2024 with the Giants, Jones had a QBR of only 42.1. Part of the value Jones brings is with his legs, too, and it's fair to wonder how much that will be diminished after the Achilles injury.

But it's worth it for the Colts to want to see what they can get again out of Jones after how well he played for most of last season. I just wouldn't want to pay too much in guarantees to find out. And it looks like they didn't. ) (Seth Walder)

o

[Oldcolt]

This is a fair and reasonable article C&O. It is a huge risk but for a team with the 3rd longest steak of not having a playoff game (in the feaking AFC South no less) why not?

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Daniel Jones Intends to Start the Colts’ Opener ...... Anthony Richardson Not Surprised to Be in Indy

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/731...trade-request/



INDIANAPOLIS — Most of the players had already left the field on Wednesday after the Indianapolis Colts’ second day of OTA's, but there were still a few stragglers, namely Daniel Jones. The team’s starting quarterback stood in the end zone of the Colts’ indoor practice facility before sprinting the full 100 yards to the other side. He did that a few times, flanked by Colts staffers, and for any other player on the team, it likely wouldn’t have been newsworthy.

But for Jones, his wind sprints marked a significant milestone. The last time the media and the public had a chance to watch him run on a football field was on December 7th, when he suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in Jacksonville. Now, just 171 days later, it was hard to tell he’s still rehabbing from one of the most devastating injuries in sports.

“I’m actually not surprised, just because of the way he works,” coach Shane Steichen said of Jones’ recovery. “When you rehab like he rehabs and put in the work like he does, it’s pretty impressive …... he’s relentless.”

Jones, who celebrated his 29th birthday Wednesday, took the first reps in most of the Colts’ positional drills. He dropped back and threw to wide receivers and tight ends, and even did a few roll-outs and play-action passes, but he did not participate in team drills. Steichen said the Colts will remain cautious with Jones’ rehab while leaving the door open for him to possibly join seven-on-seven drills next week.

Jones said he still has several boxes to check as he regains his full mobility, and he acknowledged he’s keenly aware of his Achilles when he’s on the field. He expects that subconscious reminder to disappear as he inches toward the Colts’ season opener.

When asked Wednesday whether he truly thinks he could be ready by then, Jones said “absolutely”, and doubled down. A return that quick would be roughly 9 months after Jones had surgery, making it one of the most aggressive Achilles rehabs in recent NFL memory.

“I understand the process,” Jones said. “You gotta hit all your marks, and I understand that. I have a lot of trust and faith in the doctors and the trainers we have here, our physical therapy staff. And I have a lot of trust in myself to do the work, and put myself in a position to play. That’s certainly been my goal all along.”

But before Jones reaches his ultimate goal, however, he’ll need to clear several more smaller ones, such as running wind sprints after practice, with the hope of one day soon running away from defenders again.

“I think that you take a lot of that stuff for granted when you’re healthy ...... and then you get hurt or something like that, and you’re not able to do that for a while, you miss being able to do a lot of it,” Jones said. “So I’m grateful to be back, and, like I said, very appreciative and grateful for our trainers, our physical therapy staff, and everybody here who’s helped me along the way. And obviously, there’s still a good ways to go.”


Anthony Richardson Addresses Trade Request


Anthony Richardson requested a trade in February, but Wednesday at OTA's was the first time that he addressed it publicly. The 24-year-old initially stayed away from the team before rejoining it after Indianapolis was unable to strike a deal.

“Is it awkward ???” Richardson said, repeating a question that he was asked. “Nah, I don’t think so. I signed a contract. I was still on this team regardless, before the trade stuff. So I have an obligation to this team to come out here and play, and perform, and be ready to play if they need me.”

Richardson would not disclose why he requested a trade, and repeatedly deferred to his agent, Deiric Jackson. Richardson, the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, has totaled 11 TD Passes and 13 INT's, plus 10 rushing TD's in the NFL. He started just 15 games in his first two seasons because of a myriad of injuries, and being benched in 2024. He lost the starting job to Jones last year.

Colts GM Chris Ballard said shortly after the draft that the team held trade talks about Richardson, but nothing materialized. Richardson added Wednesday that he wasn’t surprised to still be in Indianapolis.

“It’s a crazy league. A lot of crazy things happen,” Richardson said. “People get traded, some people don’t. I didn’t get traded, so that was that.”

Richardson has not rescinded his trade request, Steichen confirmed, but now that he’s back in the fold Steichen said that Richardson will compete with Riley Leonard to be the Colts’ back-up quarterback. Richardson entered last year as the Colts' QB-2, but he suffered an orbital fracture in October that left him with impaired vision in his right eye. When asked Wednesday whether he has regained his full vision, Richardson said “it’s good” and that he’s “adjusted pretty well.”

Richardson took the 1st-string reps during the team periods on Wednesday, but Steichen said that the plan is to alternate between Richardson and Leonard and evenly distribute their reps throughout OTA's. Leonard started last year’s season finale while Jones and Richardson were sidelined. The 2025 6th-round pick threw 2 TD's and 3 INT's as a rookie. He also had two rushing TD's.

“I love Riley, and I love competing,” Richardson said. “Riley is going to push me. I’m going to push Riley. And we're just going to push each other and try to be the best version of ourselves, and may the best man win.”

Richardson’s reps Wednesday were highlighted by two downfield, tight-window throws to tight end Drew Ogletree and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in 7-on-7 drills. Both players made toe-tapping receptions near the sideline to pick up first downs, and Richardson was clearly pleased with those throws as he pumped his fist.

Steichen commended Richardson for his professionalism, but when pressed about giving a player who requested a trade the chance to be the Colts’ back-up, the coach explained his reasoning.

“Because there’s a potential that he could be here in 2026,” Steichen said. “You never know. We’ll see how this thing plays out ...… But if you’re going to be here, everyone here is going to compete.”


Notable Returns and Absences


Cornerback Justin Walley and safety Hunter Wohler, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries during their rookie seasons last year, participated in OTA's on Wednesday. Wohler is back from a Lisfranc injury that he suffered in the Colts’ 2nd pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers last season. Meanwhile, Walley said that he’s been cleared for 3 weeks after he tore his ACL in a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens in August.

Walley was poised to be a starter last year until his season was cut short before it could truly begin. This year, he might be in line for an even bigger role now that veteran Kenny Moore II, who was released earlier this month, is no longer on the roster. Walley is the most likely candidate to replace Moore, a 2021 Pro Bowler, in the slot.

“I feel like my football knowledge is high enough where I can play inside and outside,” Walley said. “I have the ability to cover smaller guys and the bigger guys, so that IQ really helps me do both.”

Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce and right tackle Jalen Travis were present on Wednesday, but did not participate in OTA's. Pierce is still recovering from left ankle surgery, and Steichen said that Travis was sidelined because of a back injury.

Running back Jonathan Taylor and cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner were among the notable absences from OTA's on Wednesday. Steichen said that all 3 were tending to their families, and that he wasn’t concerned with their non-attendance since practice is voluntary at this time of the year. Steichen expects the trio to rejoin the team for mandatory minicamp in June, if not sooner.


Colts Joint Practices


Steichen announced Wednesday that the Colts will travel to New England for one joint practice with the defending AFC champion Patriots before they face each other in their pre-season opener August 13th. The Colts will then host the Atlanta Falcons for 2 joint practices before they square off on August 22nd in Week 2 of the preseason. The Colts’ joint practices with 2 teams have become a staple during Steichen’s tenure as he enters his fourth year with the franchise.

o