Colts Owner and GM Defend Handing Oft-Criticized Daniel Jones a $100 Million Contract

Daniel Jones was supposed to be a backup to Anthony Richardson but now has cemented his QB1 status at least for next season.

Colts Owner and GM Defend Handing Oft-Criticized Daniel Jones a $100 Million Contract

Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Daniel Jones, and Chris Ballard (Image via Sleeper Colts/X)

In Short
  • Daniel Jones signed a two-year contract with the Colts worth $100 million, the largest for any two-year deal in NFL history.
  • Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon emphasized the importance of chemistry between Jones and head coach Shane Steichen.
  • GM Chris Ballard expressed confidence in Jones, stating the organization believes in him despite external criticism.

Daniel Jones has seemingly assured himself of a future in Indianapolis after the Colts offered him a new contract worth $100 million, the largest for any two-year contract in league history.

This is a stark departure from the time when fans felt that the Duke alum was going to wind up having to move town every now and then after his time with the New York Giants ended disappointingly.

His struggles with the team, despite them giving him ample opportunities to shine, gave the impression that he was nothing more than a glorified backup.

Then came a chance to battle for the QB1 spot in Indianapolis, and Daniel Jones grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He rewarded their faith in him by leading them to an impressive 8-2 record before their bye.

Injuries ended his season early, but the Colts were happy to reward the QB with a two-year contract that pays him $50 million each of his two years.

Naturally, handing him that much money after just 13 games surprised many, and that is why the folks at the Pat McAfee Show decided to ask owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon about it.

Talking to a lot of the guys, like, how did they feel, what did we need to keep moving forward. Most of them agreed, you know, Daniel was the right person. What he went through his Achilles (and broken leg), and he played with that.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon replied

It seems the owner and her sisters were convinced that the organization their late father ran needs Daniel Jones to continue doing what he did.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon specifies chemistry with head coach in offering Daniel Jones that much money

A while before speaking with Pat McAfee and his crew, Carlie Irsay-Gordon sat down with IndyStar’s Joel A. Erickson. When they got to talking about Daniel Jones, she said:

Colts owner likes Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen's chemistry
Colts owner likes Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen’s chemistry (Image via Endzone Espresso/X)

That chemistry that a quarterback needs to have with their head coach. I don’t want to name any names, but there are situations where your head coach doesn’t believe in your quarterback, I mean, you’re kind of screwed. I think Shane (Steichen) and Daniel really align.

The 45-year-old owner believes that it is important to have chemistry between the head coach and the player manning the team’s most important position, as without it, even good teams have crumbled.

The Colts CEO reiterated that when she spoke with staff and the players, the consensus was that they wanted Daniel Jones back. That is how she ended up giving the blessing to GM Chris Ballard to lock the QB for the immediate future.

Chris Ballard believes in Daniel Jones

Ballard took his time negotiating with Daniel Jones and his agent before agreeing to the $100 million contract. When Kay Adams asked the GM how important it was to complete the deal, he replied:

We believe in Daniel… and he needed to feel that.

Chris Ballard said on Up & Adams show

The 56-year-old recounted how even when they made the decision to start Jones over Anthony Richardson, they had received a lot of hate.

That trend is continuing, even though they, as an organization, believe in their starting quarterback. He then pointed out how salaries for that position can sometimes go out of hand, which is why they did not wait long before securing Jones to a deal.

Now, the Colts will be waiting for their starting quarterback to recover properly and return to play as early as possible. With similarly aged NBA players returning earlier than usual, it is possible that the former sixth-round pick can also return without missing many games.

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