The Colts’ 2025 season ended with more questions than answers. A promising start gave way to a frustrating collapse, but Indianapolis is moving forward with its leadership intact. Head coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard are sticking around, and the franchise’s focus now shifts to the most important position on the field: quarterback.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Colts are planning to open contract talks with Daniel Jones on a multi-year deal to keep him in Indianapolis. That’s a clear sign the organization sees Jones as more than just a stopgap - they view him as a potential long-term answer under center.
Jones arrived in Indy on a one-year deal and wasted no time making an impact. Through the first half of the season, he was playing the best football of his career.
The Colts jumped out to an 8-2 record and were firmly in the playoff picture. At one point, Jones even found himself in the MVP conversation - a testament to how well he was executing Steichen’s offense.
But the second half of the season told a different story. Injuries piled up, including a torn Achilles that ended Jones’ year prematurely. The Colts’ offense sputtered without him, and what looked like a playoff-bound campaign unraveled in dramatic fashion.
Still, the front office saw enough in those first 10 games to believe Jones could be the guy. Pelissero reported that both sides are interested in a long-term partnership.
Jones wants to stay in Indy, and the Colts want to keep him. Of course, wanting a deal and getting one done are two different things - negotiations rarely follow a straight line.
If the two sides can’t agree to terms, the franchise tag remains a viable fallback.
From a cap standpoint, the Colts are in solid shape. They enter the offseason with $35.6 million in available space and are projected to have $179.23 million in 2027. That financial flexibility gives them plenty of room to work out a long-term deal with Jones if they choose to go that route.
But there’s another layer to this. The Colts made a bold move at the trade deadline, sending away two first-round picks to acquire Sauce Gardner.
That leaves them without a first-rounder this spring and in 2027. It’s a win-now move that speaks volumes about how the front office views their competitive window - and it raises the stakes on getting the quarterback situation right.
That’s why the Jones decision looms so large. If he’s the guy, locking him up now makes sense.
If there are doubts, the franchise tag gives them another year to evaluate without committing long-term. Either way, Indy’s future is closely tied to Jones - and that’s a storyline worth watching as the offseason unfolds.
For now, all signs point to Daniel Jones staying in Indianapolis. What’s still unclear is whether that’ll be on a long-term extension or a one-year tag. But one thing’s for sure: the Colts are betting that the version of Jones we saw before the injury is the real deal - and that he’s the quarterback who can lead them back into contention.