Indianapolis Colts sign QB Easton Stick

Easton Stick's one-year, $1.3M deal earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI)—a fair-value agreement that reflects his role as a depth quarterback without overpaying for it. At $1.3M on a single-year contract, the Colts are paying replacement-level wages for a backup arm, which is precisely what you'd expect for a non-roster-dependent signal-caller; there's no salary distortion here, no guaranteed money inflating the hit, and no long-term cap albatross. The cost tracks the production tier: Stick is a reliable reserve option, not a starter-caliber asset commanding top-10 QB money, so the math works straightforwardly. For a team sitting at 8-9 with a seven-game losing streak heading into the offseason, bringing in depth insurance at this price point is neither a bargain nor an overpay—it's a rational, no-risk transaction that fills a roster slot without tying up capital. The one-year structure is ideal for this tier of player; if Stick proves expendable, the Colts walk away clean next offseason with zero dead-cap consequences. Overall, this is a textbook fair-value deal: modest player, modest price, modest upside, modest downside—the value equation balances cleanly.