A new report suggests that the Indianapolis Colts will have to pay big money to re-sign Daniel Jones this offseason despite the quarterback suffering a torn Achilles tendon late in the 2025 season.
Over the first half of the NFL season, the Colts were the top feel-good story in the sport because expectations were not high for them in 2025. Especially after they gave up on former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and made New York Giants draft bust Daniel Jones their starting QB.
However, the former first-round pick had a career renaissance in Indianapolis under offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and head coach Shane Steichen. Over the first 10 weeks of the season, the QB earned MVP buzz with his performance and led the Colts to an impressive 8-2 start. Then it all fell apart after he suffered a broken left fibula.
Jones tried to gut it out and play through the injury for several weeks. However, his season came to a heartbreaking end in December when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. The Colts lost their last seven games and missed the playoffs despite looking like a Super Bowl contender early in the year.
The devastating injury puts both Jones and the Colts in a weird situation. The QB and team seem perfect for each other. However, it’s understandable for Indy management to be wary of investing big money in a quarterback who likes to use his legs and is coming off such a serious injury. It would seemingly open the door for a return at a discounted rate.
Colts will have to pay Daniel Jones around $40 million annually in new contract
However, that seems highly unlikely. In a Tuesday newsletter, The Athletic’s Jacob Robinson was asked about the situation between the Colts and Jones heading into the offseason, and the NFL reporter suggested the QB has all the leverage and will get another big payday despite looking to return from the Achilles tear.
“Do they have a choice? The quarterback market is bleak in free agency and the draft, so letting Jones leave the building would be an enormous risk for a general manager whose job security is tenuous,” Robinson claimed. “They need Jones more than he needs them, as hard as that is to believe. The baseline is Sam Darnold’s $33.5 million average, though Jones likely gets closer to $40 million. Again.”
Jones earned $40 million annually in the four-year deal he signed with the Giants in 2023. While he may get slightly less than that in his deal with Indianapolis, considering the risk his injury creates, that isn’t the sort of discount the Colts would likely prefer in a new contract.
