Home / Sports / Colts Use Rare Transition Tag on QB Jones
Colts Use Rare Transition Tag on QB Jones
3 Mar
Summary
- The transition tag allows a team to match any offer for a player.
- No quarterback has received this tag since 2000.
- Jones led NFL passing yards through ten weeks in 2025.
The Indianapolis Colts recently utilized the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, a rarely seen mechanism in NFL free agency. Unlike the more common franchise tag, the transition tag gives the original team the right of first refusal on any offer another club makes to the player.
If the Colts decide not to match an offer, Jones will be free to sign with the team that made the offer. This move comes after Jones's impressive 2025 season, where he led the NFL in passing yards through ten weeks before suffering a season-ending injury. The transition tag is valued at $37.833 million for one year, reflecting the average of the top ten salaries at the quarterback position.
Since tracking began in 2000, no quarterback has been given this specific tag. Only 20 players across all positions have received it, with several instances being rescinded. The tag effectively provides the Colts with more time to finalize a long-term contract with Jones, with general manager Chris Ballard expressing optimism about reaching a resolution.
