The Indianapolis Colts made an $88 million investment this offseason that could become a bargain.
The Indianapolis Colts took a sizable leap of faith this offseason when they rewarded quarterback Daniel Jones with a new two-year, $88 million contract in free agency.
On one hand, Jones played arguably the best football of his career for the Colts in 2025, leading them to an 8-2 record through the first 10 weeks. However, he tore his right Achilles tendon in Week 14 and had to undergo season-ending surgery in December.
That contract figure could be a representation of what makes or breaks the Colts' season.
Matt Okada from NFL.com assigned a defining number to each team, and for the Colts, he selected $88 million.
"The Colts’ immediate future hinges around their newly minted $88 million quarterback, Daniel Jones," Okada wrote. "His much-discussed two-year contract was inked just 94 days after he tore his Achilles in December.
Jun 9, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) hands the ball off to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) during a drill during minicamp at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images"The two big questions? Will Jones be healthy to start the season, and if he is, will he play like he did early last season, when the Colts won seven of their first eight games? If so, the deal could go from dicey to discount very quickly."
Re-signing Jones and it being a success isn't just black and white.
Jones has the Achilles injury, which complicates things, but all indications are that he'll be available for Week 1 of the regular season.
He has already participated in 7-on-7 team drills over the last couple of weeks of the offseason program and could be fully cleared sometime during training camp, which begins in late July.
However, this isn't a situation where Jones has a long history of high-level football, or even of good health.
Jones has never played a full season, and he's now had seasons which ended because of a neck injury (2021), a torn ACL (2023), and an Achilles (2025).
The Colts are not only taking a leap of faith that Jones will recover from his Achilles and remain healthy for them in 2026, but that he also returns to being the player who set new career bests in completion percentage (68.0%), pass success rate (52.0%), yards per attempt (8.1), yards per completion (11.9), yards per game (238.5), and passer rating (100.2).
On the surface, no matter how you look at it, $88 million is a lot of money. However, when it comes to the value of NFL quarterback contracts, Jones' $44 million average per year ranks just 14th in the NFL, according to Spotrac.com.
If Jones hits certain benchmarks throughout his two-year contract, the value can actually reach $100 million, not just $88 million. Even still, $50 million per year would rank 13th.
While it may cost a little more, if Jones is checking off those boxes and earning more money, it's probably paying dividends for everybody.
