3 Crucial Players the Colts Must Re-Sign After 2025

Although Pierce hasn't found the end zone yet in 2025, the Colts' offense has utilized him as a vertical threat to open up the field for Shane Steichen's playbook.

Pierce has hauled in 16 catches for 317 yards in five games played this season. Those numbers aren't as shiny as his 37-catch, 824-yard, 7-touchdown 2024 season, but they show that Pierce is needed as a vertical threat for this offense to succeed.

Pierce had his best game of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend, bringing in five catches for 98 yards. He finished as the team's leading receiver on the day, with Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin sidelined due to injury.

The Colts signed Michael Pittman Jr. to a contract worth approximately $23 million annually, which puts into question how much a potential Pierce extension would be.

A comparable player to Pierce would be Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson, who is on a one-year deal worth just over $13 million. If Pierce stays on pace to finish with 800-900 yards, I think a deal in the $15 million annually range would not be out of the question.

2. Quarterback Daniel Jones

Heading into the season, the criticism Jones was facing felt insurmountable. Amazingly, Jones has silenced all the doubters in a mere seven games.

Jones is a textbook operator at the line of scrimmage, commanding the Colts to the most points per drive (3.46) by any offense this century.

Jones has shown complete mastery of Shane Steichen's playbook. His ability to make the right reads every play to help move the chains is exactly what was missing under center in Indianapolis since Andrew Luck was in town.

Of course, a huge part of Jones' newfound success stems from the offensive line. The Colts' protectors are among the best in football, allowing a league-low six sacks through seven games.

As for a new contract, Jones has played himself into big money. A similar recent success story is Sam Darnold, who signed a deal worth just over $33 million annually with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason after leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record the year prior.

A realistic scenario for Jones is a deal worth around $35-40 million per year, assuming he wants to stay in Indianapolis.

3. Safety Nick Cross

This isn't just recency bias because of his interception in last week's win against the Chargers. Cross has had an amazing season thus far, and he's really grown into the type of safety that Chris Ballard thought he could become when he was drafted.

Cross has become a weapon for Lou Anarumo's creative blitz schemes, which adds a whole new layer to the Colts' defense. He already has 1.5 sacks, one interception, 53 total tackles (four for loss), and three passes defended on the season.

Cross is in the last year of his rookie deal, similar to Pierce. He only became a full-time starter last season, but he's quickly made the most of every single snap.

His breakout game in Week 2's win against the Denver Broncos earned him some much-deserved love, but now the front office needs to reward that high-level play.

The safety market is fairly cheap, with the highest average salary being $25 million annually. The Colts could offer Cross a deal worth anywhere between $10-15 million a year.

The Colts had safety Julian Blackmon signed to a one-year extension after his rookie deal, so it's possible the Colts keep Cross on a short-term basis to ensure that he's the right fit for the defense, especially since it's only his first year under Anarumo.