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EspañolThe Colts have made a move to ensure quarterback Daniel Jones is in the fold for 2026.
Indianapolis announced on Tuesday that the club has placed the transition tag on Jones before the 4 p.m. ET tagging deadline.
With the transition tag, the Colts have the right to match any offer Jones receives from another team in free agency. If Jones does agree to terms with a team and the Colts decline to match it, then Indianapolis would not be entitled to draft-pick compensation.
Jones’ one-year transition tag tender will see him earn $37.833 million in 2026 if he and the Colts do not reach a long-term deal and Jones does not sign with another team in free agency.
If the Colts would have placed the franchise tag on Jones, the quarterback’s one-year franchise tender would have been worth $43.895 million.
Jones is still recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in early December. He led the Colts to an 8-5 record in games started, completing 68.0 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions before his injury.
This is only the seventh time since 2013 that the transition tag has been used on a player. It's the first time the Colts have used the transition tag since 1998.
With the Colts tagging Jones, receiver Alec Pierce is now set to become an unrestricted free agent next week. But Pierce could still sign with Indianapolis before hitting the open market. ESPN’s Stephen Holder reported earlier on Tuesday that Pierce’s representation and the Colts had been working on a deal, with Pierce interested in continuing to play with Jones.