The NFL deadline to use the franchise tag for this upcoming season expires tomorrow, and the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones still have yet to reach a long-term deal.
Jones signed a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal with the Colts last season won the starting quarterback job. After having a resurgence year, Jones tore his Achilles towards the end of the season, putting him in an unideal situation heading into free agency.
With teams having one more day to use the franchise tag, the Colts are reportedly ’50-50′ on tagging Jones before the deadline.
Like last offseason, Jones is in a similar situation where he’s in a ‘prove-it’ situation after suffering a major injury last season. He may have leverage on the Colts if he hits free agency.
The franchise tag cost for quarterbacks this season is set at $43.8 million for the 2026-2027 season.
Daniel Jones Had The Best Season Of His Career In 2025
Though it was cut short due to his Achilles injury, missing four games, Daniel Jones had arguably the best season of his career this past season. He started off going 8-2 in the team’s first 10 games of the season and had the Colts playing like AFC contenders.
Then came Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars where Jones fell to the ground, clutching his right calf after releasing a pass, resulting in his season-ending Achilles tear injury. This pretty much ended the Colts’ chances at a playoff run and put Jones in a weird situation entering free agency this offseason.
Jones completed a career-high 68 percent of his passes and had the best quarterback rating of any season at 100.2. He threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
With the Colts giving former first-round quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to seek a trade, it would be ideal to retain Jones on a long-term or multi-year deal. The two sides are reportedly off in negotiating, which may force the Colts to use the franchise tag before the deadline expires tomorrow afternoon.
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