The Indianapolis Colts are navigating a tense quarterback situation this offseason with Daniel Jones. After impressing as a free agent acquisition last season, the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is seeking a long-term contract worth $50 million per year from the team, a deal they are reluctant to do.
This led the Colts to place a transition tag on him, offering him the opportunity to find out his value across the NFL. However, CBS’s Pete Prisco is urging the team to move on from Jones and pivot to a proven veteran, potentially unlocking significant salary cap relief.
“Daniel Jones supposedly wants $50 million a year. … But he’s tagged at 37,” Prisco said Monday on CBS Sports HQ. “So that’s the starting point. If you’re the Indianapolis Colts, are you paying Daniel Jones $50 million a year? Seriously, that’s a little too much.
“You know what I’d do? I’d take that tag off. I’d let him walk. The transition tag, yeah. I’d go get Kyler Murray and pay him $1.5 million. That’s what I would do. I’d save him about $40 million per year and play the season with Kyler Murray.”
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Jones proved he has what it takes to re-establish himself in the NFL with the Colts last season. He threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns in 13 games before suffering an Achilles injury. However, it remains to be seen where his future lies in the next couple of months.
Rich Eisen questions Daniel Jones’ demand from the Colts
Many observers across the NFL consider the value of the contract Daniel Jones is demanding from the Colts as unrealistic. Rich Eisen weighed in on the ongoing fiasco on Monday, questioning whether there are teams in the league that can play him what he’s demanding from the Colts.
“They are running the risk here of losing Daniel Jones, but you tell me which team would pay him the $50 million a year contract that the Colts would not match and just let him walk, because they can match,” Eisen said on the “Rich Eisen Show.” …
“You tell me the team that’s going to give him $50 million a year coming off of the Achilles. Anybody? Would it be Arizona, which is now in the business of a quarterback? Who else is it? Miami won’t have that cash. They’re not going to do that. The Jets? You imagine bringing Daniel Jones back to New York to the tune of $50 million per year.”
Should Jones fail to secure the contract he’s looking for elsewhere in the NFL, he will continue with the Colts on the transition tag salary. Nonetheless, it’s an opportunity to prove to the team once again that he’s worth being one of the best-paid quarterbacks in the league.