Saturday, October 10, 2026
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Mac Jones, Daniel Jones Cash In on Big Incentive Money

Daniel Jones and Mac Jones both flamed out as starting quarterbacks with the teams that drafted them, but are having success elsewhere this season.

Oct 19, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) hands off the ball in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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It’s a good time to be an NFL quarterback with the last name Jones. 

On Sunday, the 49ers beat the Falcons 20–10 to improve to 5–2 despite a rash of injuries to start the season, including starting quarterback Brock Purdy. 

Purdy is out indefinitely with a toe injury. In his absence, the team’s Super Bowl hopes have been kept afloat by his backup, Mac Jones, who previously flamed out as a starter in New England. 

Since stepping in for Purdy, Jones is 4–1 as a starter and has thrown for more than 1,400 yards in just five games. In 2024, Jones threw for 1,672 in 10 games while with the Jaguars as a fill-in for Trevor Lawrence. 

Jones signed a two-year deal with San Francisco in March worth $8.4 million, but Sunday’s win unlocked some extra cash for him. Signed as a backup, his contract came with a $400,000 incentive if he won four games as a starter while taking at least 25% of the snaps. Now that he’s eclipsed the $400,000 mark, Jones gets an additional $100,000 for each win going forward. 

But Mac still trails another Jones in terms of incentive money earned this season. 

Daniel Jones continues to be a revelation in Indy after his exile from the Giants. 

The Colts improved to 6–1 on Sunday with a 38–24 win over the Chargers. Jones threw for two touchdowns and 288 yards. Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts in March and has netted $100,000 for each win he plays at least 50% of the snaps in. To date, he has earned $600,000 in bonuses. 

Jones’s success comes after the Giants granted his release last year in the middle of a $160 million deal he signed with the team in March 2023. His contract carries a $22 million salary cap hit for the Giants this season, who are 2–5, while Jones continues to lead the Colts toward a playoff berth. 

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