EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsINDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said he remains hopeful that the team can get deals done with receiver Alec Pierce and quarterback Daniel Jones before free agency begins."It's been very positive," Ballard said. "When both sides are driven to get it done, it usually works out in the right way."We're driven, they're driven."Both Jones and Pierce, who blossomed together this past season, could be candidates for a franchise tag if neither can be signed. However, the projected tags for both positions could make that prohibitive -- it's $47,321,000 for a quarterback and $28,824,000 for a receiver."It's not what we want to do," Ballard said. "It's a tool we have."The negotiating period begins March 9; the first day of free agency begins two days later.Pierce and Jones blossomed in their first season together. Pierce set career-highs in catches (47) and yards (1,003) while leading the NFL in yards per catch (21.3). Jones recorded a total QBR of 90.4 when targeting Pierce -- his best rating last season among receivers he targeted more than 10 times."I've always believed in him," Ballard said of Pierce. "He's a really freaking good player and he makes some really big plays for us. And he's still young."Pierce and Jones were key factors in the Colts winning eight of their first 10 games last season."It'll be huge for us, we get those two guys back," Colts coach Shane Steichen said. "Alec had a hell of a year and Daniel Jones was playing winning football for us until his injury happened. To get that continuity back, with especially those two guys, for offense would be beneficial and huge for us."In 13 games last season -- his first with the Colts -- Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.But he's also coming off a torn Achilles that cost him the final four games of the season. He also tore an ACL in 2023 while playing for the New York Giants."The way he prepares how he's built, I think in the long run, Daniel's going to be perfectly fine," Ballard said.Ballard did not want to put a timeline as far as when Jones might be ready to return. But Steichen said: "He's attacking his rehab the right way and so I feel confident he'll be ready to go for training camp."Meanwhile, Ballard said quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth pick in the 2023 draft, has been "cleared to play," putting him on track to be ready for the start of the offseason program in April. He suffered an orbital fracture in a freak pre-game accident before a Week 6 game vs. Arizona."He's getting better," Ballard said.Richrdson's future with the Colts remains uncertain after playing just 14 snaps in 2025 and with Jones possibly returning as the starter. But Ballard said he remains high on Richardson."You never know what's going to happen and things change, but yeah, we like Anthony," Ballard said. "I'm not going to say he needs a complete fresh start. Anthony's still young. He's still developing, so we'll see what the feature holds, but I mean I still believe in [his future]."
