Colts' Creative Salary Cap Moves, Jones & Pierce Extensions

0:00On March 16th, the Indianapolis Colts kicked off their offseason by getting creative with the salary cap. They placed a transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, then locked him into a two-year extension worth up to $100 million. A huge $44 million signing bonus, spread over five years, dropped his 2026 cap hit to just $14.68 million. Dollars, freeing up over 20 million in space right away. They did something similar with wide receiver Alec Pierce, resigning him to a four-year deal at $114 million. Pierce, their only 1,000-yard receiver last season, now carries a tiny $9.2 million cap hit for 2026. Together, Jones and Pierce will cost the team just $23.8 million next year. Meanwhile, the Colts traded veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with a 7th round pick for a 6th rounder in return. That move shed $29 million off the books without taking a stray cut.

1:03On defense, though, they've lost key players like in Samson Ebbacom and Quitte Pay, plus linebackers and a safety. This strategy buys time to see if Jones can anchor the offense long term while pushing bigger cap hits to later years, like 26.4 million for Jones in 2028. It also positions them well if Pierce keeps producing amid rising receiver salaries. With about 30 to $40 million left in cap space, even after some unreported signings for guys like Art and Key and Derek Anati, the Colts, seem poised for more tweaks before the draft shakes things up.