The new Daniel Jones contract is impressive. Impressive enough to make a major impression on other quarterbacks who had existing deals.
Two are worth mentioning for now: Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Darnold, who (like Jones) left Minnesota in free agency a year ago, signed in 2025 a three-year, $33.5 million per year deal with the Seahawks. He’s due to make $27.5 million in 2026 and $35.5 million in 2027.
Jones, meanwhile, will make $44 million over the next two years, with up to $12 million in incentives.
So that’s $63 million for Darnold over two years, and $88 million for Jones.
Even before Jones did his deal, Darnold deserved a new contract. He outperformed expectations.
If he had underperformed, the Seahawks would have cut him. That’s an example of the one-way nature of NFL contracts. The team can tear it up if the player doesn’t perform at a high enough level. If the player overshoots the value of the deal, he’s stuck.
Then there’s Mayfield. He’s due to make $40 million this year, with a cap number of $52.975 million. He’s in line for an extension, and the Jones deal will (or should) be the starting point.
As veteran quarterbacks go, there’s a broad range of earning capacity. For those well under the $60 million maximum, deals like the one between the Colts and Jones should have a significant impact.
The Colts have added defensive lineman Micheal Clemons, who agreed to a three-year, $17.5 million deal, according to Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report. The deal includes another $1 million of incentives.
Clemons joins Derrick Nnadi as a defensive lineman headed to Indianapolis after the Colts lost Kwity Paye to the Raiders.
Clemons, 28, joined the Jets as a fourth-round pick in 2022, and he spent his first four seasons in New York. He played 65 games, with 24 starts.
Clemons made only six starts last season, while playing behind Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson, but he played a higher percentage of the snaps (55 percent) than he did in 2024 (54 percent) when he started all 17 games.
In his career, Clemons has totaled 119 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and two passes defensed. He also has 10 penalties for 97 yards.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones signed a two-year contract today that ensures he’ll be the starter in Indianapolis when he’s healthy. But when will he be healthy?
Jones told Pat McAfee today that he’s making progress on his recovery from the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2025 season, and his goal is to play in the 2026 opener.
“I’m planning on being back and the goal is shoot for Week One,” Jones said.
There’s no guarantee that Jones will be ready for Week One. He tore his Achilles on December 7, so the Colts’ opener will be about nine months after the injury. Some players have returned from a torn Achilles tendon faster than that, but other players have needed longer.
Jones made clear that he believes the Colts can be the kind of team they were before his injury last season. They were 8-4 when he got hurt and 8-9 at the end of the season.
“We’ve got a special thing going,” Jones said.
He hopes to get that special thing going in Week One.
The Commanders have agreed to terms with tight end Chig Okonkwo and safety Nick Cross, NFL Media reports.
Okonkwo, 26, will receive a three-year deal but terms were not disclosed.
He ranks 93rd on PFT’s top-100 free agents list.
The Titans made Okonkwo a fourth-round choice in 2022, and he played 68 games, with 42 starts, in his four seasons in Tennessee. He has 194 receptions for 2,017 yards and eight touchdowns in his career.
Cross, 24, will sign a two-year deal worth up to $14 million, per NFL Media.
The Colts made Cross a third-round pick in 2022, and he appeared in 67 games, with 38 starts, in his four seasons in Indianapolis.
He has totaled 322 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
The Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones have reached agreement on a two-year contract, hours before he could have negotiated with other teams under the transition tag.
We’ve gotten the full terms of the contract. Here they are, per a source with knowledge of the specifics:
1. Signing bonus: $44 million.
2. 2026 base salary: $5.49 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2026 per-game roster bonus: $510,000 total ($30,000 per game).
4. 2027 offseason roster bonus: $4 million, $510,000 of which is fully guaranteed at signing.
5. 2027 base salary: $33.49 million base salary, $10 million of which is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully guaranteed in March 2027.
There are $6 million in annual incentives. Triggers include $100,000 for each win in which he plays at least 50 percent of the offensive snaps. Others are tied to making the playoffs and postseason wins. (We’re working on getting the full package.)
Also, there are no terms in the contract that require him to pass a physical in order to unlock any of the payments, even though he’s still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in December 2025.
It’s the biggest two-year contract in league history. It sets up a renegotiation in 2027 — or an early release that would put Jones on the open market.
