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NFL Players, Coaches With Most at Stake in Playoff Push
(By Bill Barnwell)
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...stake-playoffs
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Barring something truly unexpected, Jones will be back as the starting quarterback in Indianapolis next season. For the second time in four years, though, his organization needs to decide whether it wants to keep Jones around with a long-term deal or instead use the franchise tag to retain him. In spring 2023, the Giants chose to tag Saquon Barkley and sign Jones to a long-term extension, decisions they would quickly come to regret.
Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard and the Colts could face their own conundrum this offseason. Jones has clearly earned a raise, but Indy has other contracts and potential franchise tag candidates to consider. Alec Pierce is going to have a significant market in free agency, and the Colts could consider offering their 25-year-old wideout the franchise tag, which projects to $28 million for wide receivers. A similar move for starting safety Nick Cross would cost just over $20 million. Even if the Colts don't necessarily want to make those moves, having the franchise tag available leaves the organization with leverage as it negotiates potential extensions for Pierce, Cross and edge rusher Kwity Paye.
Trading two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner laid the Colts' plan bare: They're going to move forward with Jones. How they get there is still up for debate. The Colts can franchise-tag Jones for $46 million in 2026, and if Jones looks ordinary while he plays through a fractured fibula down the stretch, it might be the most prudent option. If in December and January we see the version of Jones who in the first half of 2025 looked like an MVP candidate, he might be able to extract another contract with a multiyear guarantee.
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