Daniel

Jones

We last heard that the two sides planned to speak soon. Now, as we prepare for combine week in Indianapolis, Pelissero reports the two sides have begun discussions and that a multi-year deal is on the table. There’s mutual interest on both sides to get a deal done, but Pelissero said any hold up in a deal will likely center around a number that “makes sense” for a multi-year deal. Jones suffered a leg injury late in the season that was followed by a torn Achilles in Week 14. Prior to going down, Jones was playing some of the best ball of his career, throwing for 3101-19-8 while completing 68.0 percent of his passes. If they are unable to reach a deal before the franchise tag deadline, it’s possible the Colts will tag Jones to buy themselves more time to get a deal in place.

The complicating factor of a tag for Jones, as Battista writes, is that Alec Pierce is also a worthy franchise tag candidate for the Colts. Time flows like a river, and Daniel Jones finds himself in an enviable bargaining position once again. The Colts were expected to open extension talks with Jones “soon” at the Super Bowl and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Colts and Jones started hammering some terms out at the NFL Combine.

It was no surprise to hear this as both Jones and the Colts had mutual interest in a re-signing after their regular season ended, and Jones’ Achilles tear had a lot to do with them tumbling out of the playoffs. We’re extremely curious who is compromising on value here as Jones has been an almost-Kirk Cousinsesque money maker over his early career, and it would seem that his mobility being compromised would make him tough to trust in 2026 as a starter since a real chunk of his value is tied to that. The Colts, of course, don’t have any better options after dealing their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks away for Sauce Gardner. It wouldn’t be surprising if this got to the stage of franchise or transition tags.

For his part, Jones also told reporters in a locker room availability that he’d like to be back. Finding the right contract for a quarterback coming off a late-season Achilles tear could be a little difficult, but it sure sounds like Indianapolis’ initial plan is to run back the first part of the 2025 season and hope that the last seven games don’t happen again.

Richardson’s season comes to a close. He completed 1-of-2 passes for nine yards and rushed four times for minus-one yard. The 23-year-old now has three lost seasons under his belt. In August, Richardson reportedly lost a “very close” battle to Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job. Things only got worse from there. Richardson’s agent told reporters that trust in the organization had been lost and a report in early October indicated that Richardson “would be open to joining a premier play caller such as Sean McVay as a developmental player so he can reset for 2026.” That scenario never came to fruition. Richardson suffered an eye injury and an orbital fracture during a pre-game elastic band workout in Week 6. Jones’ season-ending Achilles tendon rupture could afford Richardson another opportunity to compete for the starting job in 2026, though. Richardson’s potential range of outcomes remains wide as ever, heading into the new year.

The veteran quarterback was in the midst of a career year before it was halted due to a torn Achilles. The six-to-eight month recovery window gives him the potential to be ready for preseason camp ahead of the 2026 regular season, which is sure to figure into the team’s plans moving forward. That will likely be a point of continuous discussion surrounding the Colts considering Jones was playing the 2025 season on a one-year, “prove-it” deal.

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz was the first to confirm the news. It’s a brutal end to the season for Jones, who was enjoying a career year in his first season with the Colts while leading the team to an 8-4 start to the season. Jones joined the Colts on a one-year deal this offseason and beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job in camp. Jones threw for 3,101-19-8 in 13 games this season, completing a career-high 68 percent of his passes. He was on pace for a career-best 4,055 passing yards before going down, and now he enters an interesting offseason. Jones turns 29 next offseason and is likely facing a 9-12-month rehab, depending on the severity of his injury, and seems unlikely to be ready for the start of next season. His performance was the best the Colts have experienced in the Shane Steichen era, and the Colts won’t be in a position to draft a QB high in next year’s draft without orchestrating a trade. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones re-up with the Colts, but the deal he receives could look much different than what he was hoping for before his injury.

That’s about how it looked on the field, too. Riley Leonard is the presumptive starter for Week 15’s game against the Seahawks assuming Anthony Richardson (eye/IR) isn’t able to get off injured reserve. We’re assuming we’ll get confirmation on an Achilles tear sometime in the next 24 hours.

He immediately reached for the Achilles on the dropback near the end of the first quarter, it was non-contact. Jones slammed his helmet on the turf multiple times before gingerly limping off with trainers and heading to the blue tent. He then followed them to the locker room. Jones had been 5-of-7 for 60 yards and an interception in the early going, but that is not the main concern for the Colts now. Riley Leonard took over at quarterback.

Jones is playing through a fractured fibula and might be on the injury report for the remainder of the year. The good news is that he managed the issue well in Week 13, taking one sack without turning the ball over. A full practice today means that the injury won’t prevent him from playing in Week 14. With the Colts likely leaning on their ground game to protect Jones going forward, fantasy managers should treat him as a high-end QB2 as opposed to the locked-in QB1 they thought they had earlier this year.