March 2, 2026, 9:17 p.m. ET
As the Indianapolis Colts attempt to sign Daniel Jones to a long-term deal, one NFC team is reportedly “lurking,” and watching how this situation unfolds.
According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the Minnesota Vikings are “closely monitoring” the situation between the Colts and Jones.
“Jones spent part of the 2024 season with the Vikings after getting his release from the Giants,” Jones wrote. “Minnesota is in the market for a veteran quarterback after a bad year from former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy, and there’s mutual respect between Jones and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.”
As GM Chris Ballard said at the NFL combine, the Colts do not want to use the franchise or transition tag if they don’t have to. However, if a new deal can’t be reached soon, Ballard may have no other choice.
The deadline to apply one of those tags is March 3rd at 4:00 PM ET.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Several insiders are reporting that the Colts will use the transition tag instead of the franchise tag if a deal cannot be reached. The transition tag would allow Jones to still test the market and negotiate deals with other teams. However, the Colts would get the opportunity to match any offers Jones gets, providing them with some insurance.
As Jonathan Jones points out, there is a calculated risk that comes with using this tag, not exactly knowing what kind of offers Jones may get elsewhere.
In what is expected to be a now-or-never season for Ballard, he’s in no position to let this deal slip away, and Jones and his agent likely know that, as they look to maximize his earning potential this offseason, which is why negotiations seem to be coming down to the wire.