Daniel Jones has become one of the biggest stories of the 2025 NFL season. After a tumultuous six-year tenure with the New York Giants, the veteran quarterback joined the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason.
After winning the race to start in Indianapolis, Jones took the league by storm. He has led the Colts to an 8-2 record and the top seed in the AFC by playing at a high level behind an offensive line that does a solid job protecting him.
Jones’ remarkable performances have convinced the Colts that he is their franchise quarterback. They already moved on from Anthony Richardson and are now solely focused on retaining Jones for the long run.
Insider shares Daniel Jones’ potential payday with Colts
NFL insider Jeremy Fowler listed Jones as the third-best free agent for the 2026 offseason. While noting that the Colts’ offense allows Jones to play at the best level, he added that the quarterback could emulate what Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold did in prior seasons.
“Jones has a chance to become the biggest earner in the free agency class,” Fowler wrote. “The Colts appear all-in on keeping Jones long term, and they have comps for former top-10 picks who thrived when quarterbacking a new team: Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, who each earned three-year deals worth around $100 million. Jones would totally be justified asking for that … with interest.”
Coincidentally, Mayfield and Darnold bounced around the league trying to find their place. Mayfield settled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Darnold with the Seattle Seahawks, landing big contracts in the process. Jones has the numbers to ask for something similar.
