Colts Could Regret $50 Million Investment in QB Daniel Jones
One ESPN analyst believes the Indianapolis Colts made a mistake in giving QB Daniel Jones $50 million in guaranteed money.
Daniel Jones resurrected his career in Indianapolis last season. After six disappointing seasons with the New York Giants, and a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings two seasons ago, Jones looked like a different player in head coach Shane Steichen’s system. The 28-year-old QB went 8-5 as the Colts’ starter, passing for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions with a career-best 100.
2 passer rating. He had Indianapolis in first place in the AFC South for much of the season until suffering a season-ending Achilles injury toward the end of the season. Despite ending the year on injured reserve, Jones seemingly convinced the Colts that he was worthy of another massive contract, signing a two-year, $88 million deal with $50 million guaranteed.
That kind of investment is one the team could come to regret, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts looks on during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) “[To get Jones to re-sign without making a multiyear commitment], the Colts had to guarantee Jones $49.
5 million in 2026,” Barnwell said . “They weren’t able to tie more than $510,000 of that into per-game roster bonuses, which would have protected the Colts if Jones was unable to play to start the year, or benched by the end of his second season. “… The Giants got fooled by one good year from Jones and made a franchise-altering mistake.