The Indianapolis Colts quarterback situation might take a turn for the worse according to the latest reports. Daniel Jones is recovering from a broken fibula and a torn Achilles, but it seems like contract negotiations might be the biggest obstacle.
Recently, the Colts allowed Anthony Richardson to seek a trade. However, the understanding that the team and Jones were close to an extension might not be as true. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, contract talks between the Colts and Daniel Jones don’t “sound close.”
Apparently, there is quite a gap between what the Colts are offering and Jones is asking. The alternative is to put a franchise tag on Jones that would get him $43.9 million, or a transition tag that would warrant a $37.8 million paycheck for the QB.
Jones is a risky renewal
There are two key factors that might really concern the Colts when giving Jones a big contract. First, he is coming off one of the worst injuries known to athletes. Recovering from a torn Achilles is not easy, it’s quite the opposite of that. Hence, there should be more hesitation than just throwing the money at the quarterback.
The other one is consistency. Daniel Jones only had one great season under his belt, the Giants paid him handsomely and then regretted it. With the Colts, he was having a very good season, but will they also make the mistake? After all, that can send a franchise years back.
The Colts haven’t had a proper franchise QB since 2018
Ever since Andrew Luck retired, the Colts haven’t been able to solidify an actual QB. That was eight years ago. After that, no starting QB has played more than one season under center for them.
Shane Steichen will enter his fourth year on the job, and he hasn’t been able to establish a winning culture because of the lack of a proper QB1. He has worked miracles with Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson, and now Daniel Jones. However, if the Colts want to be taken seriously, they need to solve this issue as soon as possible.