Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones rides his scooter along the sideline ahead of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. Colts quarterback Daniel Jones could be headed for the franchise tag if he fails to reach a contract extension to stay in Indianapolis before Tuesday’s deadline, which allows the team to use its roster management strategy.
Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, but the risk of the Colts extending negotiations beyond Tuesday’s 4 PM ET deadline for using the franchise tag would be another team signing Jones as a free agent next week.
Indianapolis is expected to trade or release quarterback Anthony Richardson. With all signs indicating the Colts are fully committed to Jones, he officially requested a trade last week.
Health isn’t the least of Jones’ concerns in general manager Chris Ballard’s mind.
“He’s on the right track,” Ballard said. “It’s been three months since he was more or less out of the danger zone for the Achilles tendon. What is he now? Seven, eight weeks. You’ve all been around Daniel, so he’s pretty diligent in everything he does. We’ve got to get him back a little bit, but we feel good enough about where he is and where he’s going.”
The non-exclusive franchise tag value is set at $43.895 million for the quarterback, a huge number if the Colts hope to bring back unrestricted free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Despite his medical issues, Jones will likely attract interest as a free agent. He was with the Vikings at the end of the 2024 season, when Sam Darnold took Minnesota to the playoffs and won 14 games. Both are out of town, and the Vikings aren’t sure if 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy is the long-term answer. The Dolphins, Jets and Cardinals also have needs at the position.
“Daniel and Alec are really big pieces,” Ballard said of using the tag at the NFL Scouting Combine. “We move and adapt from there.”
It may be cheaper to block Pierce’s exit using the non-exclusive franchise tag ($27.298 in 2026), but there are risks if Jones isn’t secured as well.
–Field level media
