The Indianapolis Colts completed their two top priorities entering NFL free agency two weeks ago, re-signing both starting quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce—albeit at arguably inflated rates.
That being said, the Colts couldn’t afford to reasonably lose either top player, given the lack of suitable internal replacements, although one could make the argument that veteran quarterback Kyler Murray, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings for the veteran’s minimum, would be more cost effective than Jones for at least 2026.
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After placing the transition tag on Jones, and a surprisingly lengthy contract negotiation, the Colts and Jones would eventually agree to a 2-year, $88 million contract extension that can reach up to $100 million with additional earned incentives by Indianapolis’ returning QB1, who’s still recovering from a season-ending torn Achilles suffered in Week 14 of last season.
37% of Colts fans gave the new Jones’ contract a ‘C’ grade, meaning ‘Average,’ but it barely beat out the 34% of Colts fans, who gave it a strong B grade (i.e., “Good”):
After the Colts re-signed both Pierce and Jones during the first wave of free agency, the Colts have then made a number of depth signings, including veteran edge Arden Key among others. That being said, the Colts also lost a number of former starters in free agency such as Kwity Paye, Braden Smith, Samson Ebukam, and Nick Cross.
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As a result, 37% of Colts fans gave the franchise another ‘C’ grade for average.
There’s obviously still time left in free agency (and the NFL Draft, albeit without a 2026 first round pick) for the Colts to fill remaining holes, but the team arguably still needs to find a DE2, LB1, Safety 2, and WR2 this offseason.
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