Colts facing $160 million price tag to keep pair of stars in Indianapolis

Jarrett Bailey

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Colts facing $160 million price tag to keep pair of stars in Indianapolis image

The Indianapolis Colts have been the surprise team of the 2025 season, winning eight of their first 10 games and putting themselves in prime position to host a playoff game. The Colts' offense has been tremendous in 2025, leading the NFL in yards per game and offensive touchdowns.

Amongst all the reasons for the Colts' surprise breakout season, quarterback Daniel Jones has been one of the main components of their success as a whole. He leads the NFL in passing yards and is ninth in EPA per play.

It's worth reminding everyone that Jones is set to be a free agent in 2026, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler estimates that Jones will garner a contract worth north of $100 million.

"Jones has a chance to become the biggest earner in the free agency class," Fowler writes. "The Colts appear all-in on keeping Jones long term, and they have comps for former top-10 picks who thrived when quarterbacking a new team: Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, who each earned three-year deals worth around $100 million. Jones would totally be justified asking for that."

Additionally, the Colts will need to pay offensive tackle Braden Smith, and Fowler sees a price tag similar to that of Ronnie Stanley in the realm of possibilities.

"Smith is following the Ronnie Stanley playbook from last season: Parlay a contract-year restructure into a strong performance to enhance value in March," Fowler writes. "Average offensive tackles get paid. But Smith is performing at an above-average level in 2025, and he has upside with almost $70 million in career earnings."

If Smith were to garner a contract similar to Stanley, it would be in the neighborhood of a three-year, $60 million deal. Considering how well both have played, the Colts may have no choice but to pay up to keep their offensive corps together.

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Contributing Writer