Daniel Jones has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL through three games, making him one of the biggest bargains in the league with the 1-year, $14-million contract he signed to compete with Anthony Richardson for the Colts‘ starting job.
That also means Jones will be an unrestricted free agent after this season and leads to the obvious question:
What kind of contract will Daniel Jones receive after this season if he maintains something close to his current pace?
There are three clear comparisons for Jones emerging suddenly as a highly successful quarterback after years of subpar play (salary information from spotrac.com):
Geno Smith, Las Vegas
Contract: 2 years, $75 million, $66.5 million guaranteed
Age when he signed the contract: 35
Per 17 games since 2022: 68.1%, 4,269 yards, 24.5 TDs, 12.8 INTs, 94.9 passer rating, 1 rushing TD
Sam Darnold, Seattle
Contract: 3 years, $100.5 million, $55 million guaranteed
Age when he signed the contract: 28
Per 17 games since 2024: 66.7%, 4,235 yards, 33.2 TDs, 11.9 INTs, 102.8 rating, 1 rushing TD
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay
Contract: 3 years, $100 million, $50 million guaranteed
Age when he signed the contract: 29
Per 17 games since 2023: 67.4%, 4,208 yards, 34.5 TDs, 11.9 INTs, 100.6 rating, 2 rushing TDs
How much will Daniel Jones’ next contract be?
These three contracts average between $33.3 million per season and $37.5 million. Mayfield and Darnold got three years, Smith almost certainly getting just two due to his age.
Jones will be 29 next season so a three-year contract seems likely. History for all three is basically a wash. After a bad start to his career, Smith had several years of success in Seattle prior to signing his current contract; Mayfield and Darnold had one, as would Jones.
Jones is completing 71.8% of his passes and on pace for 4,624 yards, 17 touchdowns, 0 INTS, with a 111.7 passer rating and 17 rushing touchdowns. We’ll call it 34 total touchdowns for Jones as his current split is unlikely to continue and that puts him in line with Darnold and Mayfield. Jones is likely to throw some interceptions, bringing his passer rating down making him a very similar quarterback to these three.
Smith isn’t quite as productive and he’s older so let’s say Jones will merit something in the 3 years, $110 million-$120 million range with $60 million guaranteed if he continues to play at this level.
Will it be with the Colts?
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Daniel Jones contract extension: How much will Colts QB cost in 2026
