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Daniel Jones' new Colts contract is a win – even if he loses | Opinion
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- Daniel Jones' new Colts contract is a win – even if he loses | Opinion
Short and sweet.
That sums up the big deal Daniel Jones struck with the Indianapolis Colts , potentially worth $100 million, as the NFL marketplace opened on Wednesday. Jones may be rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon, but with modern medicine and a record NFL salary cap as part of the equation, "Danny Dimes" still managed to land the most lucrative two-year contract in NFL history.
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Good for him. Until the injury, suffered at Jacksonville in Week 14, Jones largely embodied another castoff quarterback – like Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield – who thrived with his change of scenery. He earned his extension. Or at least a longer look.
Yet it's also a big win for the Colts.
What if Jones, 28, comes off his injury and turns out not to be the revived quarterback that he was last year before stuff went sideways?
Well, at least the Colts are only on the hook for a reported $60 million guaranteed. GM Chris Ballard bought the franchise some time – even if Ballard and head coach Shane Steinchen are undoubtedly on the clock to produce a contender – before it made a massive commitment to Jones as the long-term franchise quarterback.
Sure, this has a pay-me-more-later possibility for Jones if he's able to bounce back and lead the Colts to the franchise's first playoff berth since 2020. Yet the shorter-term contract, which averages $44 million per year without incentives, allows the Colts to weigh a larger sample size before taking a deep dive.
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Of course, a guaranteed $60 million is nothing to sneeze at. But we're talking "NFL money" in this case, at a time when teams seem more willing to swallow dead money as NFL revenues and salary caps keep rising. And when the going rate for a veteran QB starter aligns with what Indy will pay Jones.
The Colts, who put a $37.3 million transition tag on Jones that turned out to be an effective placeholder, could have opted to pursue one of the QB bargains looking for work. Kyler Murray (just released by the Cardinals), Geno Smith ( traded from the Raiders to the Jets ) and Tua Tagovailoa ( cut by the Dolphins, then signed by the Falcons ) could have been had for the veteran minimum as their former teams must pay tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money due their way.
Instead, the Colts are staying the course with the known quantity of "Indiana Jones," at least for now. They saw how Jones came into their building and established himself as a locker room leader, then gained steam in winning the competition against Anthony Richardson for the starting job. Until a disastrous outing at Pittsburgh in Week 9, Jones seemed too good to be true as the Colts posted the NFL's best record at 7-1.
The rehab, incidentally, is apparently progressing well enough that Jones went on The Pat McAfee Show and declared that his goal is to be ready for Week 1.
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Which prompts a Kirk Cousins memory. Two years ago, Cousins, cut loose by the Falcons on Wednesday, struck a $180 million deal that guaranteed $100 million. And Cousins signed that deal while coming off a torn Achilles tendon.
Maybe the Colts applied a lesson learned from the cases of Cousins and Aaron Rodgers , whose 2023 campaign with the Jets ended in Week 1 with a torn Achilles. Even though Cousins and Rodgers made it back by the start of the 2024 seasons, they appeared to be a lot more comfortable at the end of those seasons. It took time to fully recover.
So, the Colts were wise to structure their deal with Jones that will allow for a better assessment down the road.
In the meantime, Danny can count on a lot of dimes.
Contact Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why quarterback Daniel Jones' new Colts contract is a win for everyone
