The Indianapolis Colts had a disappointing 2025 season. Indianapolis kept Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard despite the team's terrible late-season collapse. Now the Colts have plenty of tough questions to answer about their future, headlined by the quarterback position.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero gave an update on the Colts' quarterback plans ahead of the 2026 offseason. Indy plans to keep Daniel Jones around after his impressive 2025 campaign.
“Let's talk a little bit about the Colts and their quarterback plans,” Pelissero said on The Insiders on Sunday. “My understanding is the Colts plan to open talks soon with Daniel Jones on a multi-year deal to keep him in Indianapolis. Jones got to Indy last year on a one-year contract. Was playing his best football the first half of the season until he suffered injuries, including a torn Achilles that he is rehabbing right now.”
It is easy to forget that Jones was in the MVP conversation back in October. The Colts were 8-2 heading into their bye week and seemed in control of their own destiny.
However, Jones suffered multiple injuries during the back half of the season, including his season-ending Achilles injury.
Pelissero added that both sides are open to a long-term partnership. But that does not mean that contracts talks will go swimmingly.
“I am told Jones wants to be in Indianapolis [and] the Colts want to work out a deal,” Pelissero added. “If they can't, the franchise tag would be an option. But either way, the plan is Jones stays in Indy.”
Indianapolis enters the offseason with $35.60 million in cap space. They also have $179.23 million of cap space for the 2027 offseason, which puts them in a good position to sign Jones to a long-term contract.
The Colts are in a tricky situation, though. Indy spent two first-round picks on Sauce Gardner at the trade deadline. That leaves them without a first-round pick both this spring and in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Jones and the Colts seemed tied at the hip for the next few seasons.
Unfortunately, fans still have to wait and see whether he'll get a long-term extension this offseason or simply a franchise tag.
