Colts, Jones Far Apart in Contract Talks

0:00On March 9th, the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones were miles apart in contract talks before the franchise tag deadline hit. The team started with an offer around the three-year, $100,500,000 deal Sam Darnold signed last off-season. Jones pushed back hard, aiming for $50,000,000 a year, thanks to the leverage of a potential tag. Instead of the full franchise tag, the Colts slapped on the transition tag, worth $37.83 million for the 2000, 26 season. That lets Jones shop around with other teams, but Indianapolis can match any offer that comes in. Colts' general manager Chris Ballard seems pretty sure any bids Jones gets will line up closer to their number than his ask. Fans and insiders see this as a smart move to test the market without locking in top dollar right away. Both sides want a long-term deal, and Jones has said he'd love to stay put. With free agency opening up, this could force everyone to meet in the middle soon.