Colts Offer Daniel Jones Deal Similar to Sam Darnold's

Jones can now receive offers from other teams after being transition tagged by Indy

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The Indianapolis Colts have placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, meaning he can now receive offers from other teams starting on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. The Colts' initial offer to Jones was reportedly in the range of the 3-year, $100.5 million deal Sam Darnold signed with the Seahawks. However, Jones' camp has indicated that a deal worth $50 million per year would be more in line with what they are seeking if the Colts had used the franchise tag instead.

Why it matters

The transition tag gives Jones the ability to seek offers from other teams, while also allowing the Colts to match any deal. This creates an interesting dynamic as Jones recovers from a torn Achilles and weighs the one-year, $37.833 million transition tag offer against a potential long-term deal from another team.

The details

The Colts opted to use the transition tag on Jones, which is lower than the franchise tag, setting up a potential two-year deal worth $83.237 million ($37.833 million in 2026 with a 20% bump in 2027). This equates to an average annual value of $41.62 million. However, Jones' camp has indicated they would have sought a deal worth $50 million per year if the Colts had used the franchise tag instead.

  • The transition tag deadline is Wednesday, March 10th at 4:00 p.m. ET.
  • Jones suffered a torn Achilles injury in December 2025 and is still recovering.

The players

Daniel Jones

The Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback, who is recovering from a torn Achilles injury suffered in December 2025.

Sam Darnold

The Seattle Seahawks' quarterback who recently signed a 3-year, $100.5 million contract.

Indianapolis Colts

The NFL team that has placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, allowing him to seek offers from other teams.

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What they’re saying

“a deal worth $50 million per year would be more in the ballpark”

— Daniel Jones' camp (SI.com)

“The Colts' 'initial offer' (which means it wasn't the final offer) to Jones was 'in the range of Sam Darnold's three-year, $100.5 million deal'”

— Albert Breer, SI.com reporter (SI.com)

What’s next

Once the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, Jones will be able to sign an offer sheet with a new team. The Colts will then have 5 days to match any offer, with no right to compensation if they don't match.

The takeaway

The Colts are taking a calculated risk by using the transition tag on Jones, hoping no team will make an offer they won't match. This gives them flexibility to potentially sign Jones to a long-term deal in the $41 million per year range, while also allowing Jones to potentially land a more lucrative offer elsewhere.