Jets have an opportunity to do the funniest thing with Daniel Jones

For the first time since 1996, an NFL team is utilizing the scarcely used transition tag on its quarterback. The Indianapolis Colts are tagging signal-caller Daniel Jones to the tune of $37.9 million, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Other teams will have the opportunity to sign Jones to an offer sheet, but the Colts reserve the right to match any offer the seven-year veteran receives on the open market. The last time the transition tag was used on a quarterback was 30 years ago, when the Atlanta Falcons tagged Jeff George.

Of course, the Colts are going to do everything they can to bring Jones back into the fold, but the transition tag is unique in that he's allowed to speak with other teams. Is there a shred of a possibility the quarterback-needy New York Jets eye up the former first-round pick as a solution to their own problems?

Jets could theoretically outbid the Colts for Daniel Jones

In what would be one of the more ironic twists we've seen in recent NFL history, the Jets, who own the rights to the Colts' 2027 first-round pick, could steal their quarterback out from under them, sabotaging their 2026 season and improving their odds of having a better draft pick via Indianapolis.

As things currently stand, the Colts are strapped for cash. According to Over the Cap, they're in the red with about -$4.7 million in cap space. They're going to have to get creative to open the space to bring back Jones and free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce.

The Jets, meanwhile, have more than enough cap space to offer Jones a massive contract. Spotrac projected a four-year, $174.4 million deal for the Colts quarterback, and New York could go even higher if they pleased.

In all seriousness, Jones, despite coming off an Achilles tear, wouldn't be the worst quarterback available to the Jets this offseason. Sure, he would cost a lot, but the two-pronged approach of landing a starting quarterback while also making the team whose draft pick you own potentially worse is enticing.

Realistically, there's next to no chance of this happening. The Colts seem hell-bent on retaining Jones no matter the cost, and will cut and restructure as much as they can to facilitate a deal.

It's a fun thought exercise, though.