2026 Off-Season Thread

[sherck]

Originally Posted by Puck

For perspective. Have you always been against the DJ signing? Or is it after the injury?

I am not against re-signing DJ at all....

I am against re-signing him to a top tier QB contract when he has played 9 games for us at over a 100 QB Rating which is a pretty solid benchmark for good QB play. Of note, of his 4 games under 100 QB Rating, two were solid with scores in the 80s or 90s and two were bad (LAR and JAX 1.0) in the 50s and 60s.

He does not have a long enough track record to demand top dollar and enough guarenteed money to sink the team if he flames out, IMO. It is a HUGE risk to sign him to a contract mentioned above with $60m guaranteed. Sure, with Ballard, he often depleted the majority of guaranteed money in the first two seasons of a contract (1st year and most/all of 2nd year guarenteed) but that would mean giving DJ an average of $30m per season in the first two seasons I think that is way too much for his track record.

A couple things to consider:

A. He has played a complete season one time in his NFl career...
B. His highest QB Rating of his career was based on 13 games with the Colts...
C. His highest completion precentage was based on 13 games with the Colts...
D. His highest yards per game of his career was based on 13 games with the Colts...
E. His lowest stack rate of his career was based on 13 geames with the Colts...
F. He is now coming off his second leg surgery/repair.....a 2026 achilles tear on his righ leg which follows a 2023 ACL tear in his right knee. No one can predict how his mobility and throwing action will be effected by the recovery from the achilles.

On one hand, many will point to his histroically good stats and say, "See! DJ found his team!." On the other hand, I could point to them and say with certain knowledge that even 13 occurances in a change of pattern does not a new pattern make. Statistically, DJ has not yet altered the course of his performance.

Too much risk, IMO, to sign him to a top tier QB contract paying him $30m+ per season. That kind of contract killed Miami with Tua (to be fair, lots of things have killed Miami but Tua's contract does not help) and it can kill the Colts too if DJ does not recover and have better sustained top tier performance than he has shown ever in his career.

So, if DJ is willing to take a team friendly "show me" contract that pays him in bonuses and/or low money for two years with little to no guarantee and than huge 3rd and 4th years? Yeah, I am all over that kind of contract.

But, no real NFL QB agent is going to accept a contract like that, IMO. DJ is going to get paid big money after playing well and leading his team to a 7-1 start. If so, I hope it is not the Colts that pay him well from day one.

[Puck]

Evan Sidery
@esidery
·
1h
Alec Pierce could earn upwards of $30 million annually in free agency, per
@RapSheet
.

Pierce is viewed as one of the NFL’s most coveted potential targets.

Indianapolis will likely utilize the franchise tag on Pierce, if no long-term agreement is reached within the next week.

[Puck]

Originally Posted by sherck

I am not against re-signing DJ at all....

I am against re-signing him to a top tier QB contract when he has played 9 games for us at over a 100 QB Rating which is a pretty solid benchmark for good QB play. Of note, of his 4 games under 100 QB Rating, two were solid with scores in the 80s or 90s and two were bad (LAR and JAX 1.0) in the 50s and 60s.

He does not have a long enough track record to demand top dollar and enough guarenteed money to sink the team if he flames out, IMO. It is a HUGE risk to sign him to a contract mentioned above with $60m guaranteed. Sure, with Ballard, he often depleted the majority of guaranteed money in the first two seasons of a contract (1st year and most/all of 2nd year guarenteed) but that would mean giving DJ an average of $30m per season in the first two seasons I think that is way too much for his track record.

A couple things to consider:

A. He has played a complete season one time in his NFl career...
B. His highest QB Rating of his career was based on 13 games with the Colts...
C. His highest completion precentage was based on 13 games with the Colts...
D. His highest yards per game of his career was based on 13 games with the Colts...
E. His lowest stack rate of his career was based on 13 geames with the Colts...
F. He is now coming off his second leg surgery/repair.....a 2026 achilles tear on his righ leg which follows a 2023 ACL tear in his right knee. No one can predict how his mobility and throwing action will be effected by the recovery from the achilles.

On one hand, many will point to his histroically good stats and say, "See! DJ found his team!." On the other hand, I could point to them and say with certain knowledge that even 13 occurances in a change of pattern does not a new pattern make. Statistically, DJ has not yet altered the course of his performance.

Too much risk, IMO, to sign him to a top tier QB contract paying him $30m+ per season. That kind of contract killed Miami with Tua (to be fair, lots of things have killed Miami but Tua's contract does not help) and it can kill the Colts too if DJ does not recover and have better sustained top tier performance than he has shown ever in his career.

So, if DJ is willing to take a team friendly "show me" contract that pays him in bonuses and/or low money for two years with little to no guarantee and than huge 3rd and 4th years? Yeah, I am all over that kind of contract.

But, no real NFL QB agent is going to accept a contract like that, IMO. DJ is going to get paid big money after playing well and leading his team to a 7-1 start. If so, I hope it is not the Colts that pay him well from day one.

Cousins will be available. He had the same injury IIRC and seemed t oplay fairly well last yr.

Other possibilities while most won't hit FA are

Tua
Murray
Trubisky
Wilson
T Taylor
Huntley
Flacco
A Rogers
Ehlinger
Minshew
Pickett
Trey Lance
Wilson. HELL NO!!
Sam Howell
Mariota
Driskall
Johnson
Keenum
Malik Willis. Maybe
Rypien
Wentz NEVER HAPPEN
Bridgewater
Jimmy G

Any of these guys over DJ? Even at the 135/60? Knowing that he really "gets' ths offense?

[Puck]

Would you do this?


https://x.com/SleeperColts/status/20...542164506?s=20

SleeperColts

@SleeperColts
Mock trade idea from Bengals OnSI’s
@JamesRapien
👀

#Colts receive:
▫️ Trey Hendrickson

#Bengals receive:
▫️ Josh Downs

Fair swap or overpay?

[Puck]

https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/...359952174?s=20

Ari Meirov
@MySportsUpdate
·
39m
#Bears GM Ryan Poles says the team has received calls about the potential trade availability of QB Tyson Bagent.

[Puck]

https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/20...468743248?s=20

Mike Garafolo
@MikeGarafolo
·
6m
Everything on the table, including a trade, for Tua Tagovailoa, as new #Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said he’s excited about what’s ahead for Quinn Ewers.

[Puck]

Coaching news

https://x.com/ZachHicks2/status/2026...681532397?s=20

Zach Hicks
@ZachHicks2
·
19h
Brent Stockstill moving to the offensive side of the ball after helping with defense last year. Former college quarterback that worked under Lane Kiffin in 2019 and under his dad Rick Stockstill from 2022-2023

[albany ed]

Originally Posted by Puck

https://x.com/spotrac/status/2026283586127606264?s=20

Spotrac
@spotrac
·
1h
#Colts QB Daniel Jones carries a $43.6M valuation in our model.

Is a 3-year, $135M contract with $60M guaranteed at signing ($90M through 2027) enough to keep him off of the open market?

IMO, that's a ridiculous contract offer. If that's what it takes to keep him, let him test the open market. I can't think of any team that would make that offer.

[Puck]

https://x.com/Schultz_Report/status/...151464848?s=20

Jordan Schultz
@Schultz_Report
·
20h
The #Chiefs are releasing 2x Super Bowl champion DE Mike Danna.

[Puck]

Originally Posted by albany ed

IMO, that's a ridiculous contract offer. If that's what it takes to keep him, let him test the open market. I can't think of any team that would make that offer.

Cousins got 100 for 2 years after his Achilles