Colts decision on Daniel Jones could backfire

Like it or not, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. You can run, and you can hide, but you can’t ignore it. Yes, there are 53 players on an NFL roster, 22 starters, and 11 players on the field at once, but it’s all about the quarterback. There are many ways in which you can win an NFL game and build a team, but it’s always going to come back to the quarterback.

How else can we explain that, coming into the off-season, Daniel Jones already had $122.8 million of career earnings? No offense to Jones, but he’s had major injury and performance issues throughout his career.

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Has Jones earned the big payday?

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones looks on in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs. Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Yes, I know Jones wasn’t in an ideal situation to begin his career with the New York Giants, but there were times when he simply didn’t look like a legitimate NFL quarterback. However, given the positional scarcity and sensitive nature of the position, Jones still earned a long-term financial commitment.

For obvious reasons, his time in New York came to a close, and Anthony Richardson’s struggles and inability to stay healthy led to Jones starting under center for the Indianapolis Colts last season. Yes, he should get credit for the Colts going 8-1, but Jones also benefited largely from the success of Jonathan Taylor.

After Jones tore his Achilles, the Colts offense and season took a nose dive. But did the Colts panic by giving Jones a lucrative contract this week?

We do need to issue the disclosure that, when it comes to quarterback contracts, timing is everything. All that happens each year, as the salary cap increases, is that the market simply goes to insane places. How else do you describe the contract disparity between quarterbacks and everyone else? It’s simply a different stratosphere.

Jones has a lot more pressure:

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) stands on the field during the National Anthem before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Jones is now the 12th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL. By no means is he the 12th-best quarterback, but that’s where the market has taken us. The fact that Jones will be making a guaranteed $50 million in 2026 is wild. He signed a two-year contract worth $88 million that could grow to be $100 million if he reaches incentives.

While it’s essentially a one-year deal, Jones has an injury guarantee of $60 million.

As crazy as it sounds, the Colts 2026 season hinges on Jones. They can move on for 2027 if things go badly, but if Jones reverts to his poor performance or injury history, this season is sabotaged. Given the available options, they likely felt as if they had no choice, but this could delay the clock on finding a suitable, future path, under center. 

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