Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Week 14 of last season, and the timeline for his return was unknown. Now that Indy will play the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Stadium in London, England, in Week 4 of next season, Jones' return could be pushed back at least another week.
The hope was that Jones could return by at least early October. Some in the organization may be hoping for a return by Week 1, but based on players who had the same kind of injury, that speedy comeback seems unlikely. Achilles tendon tears usually mean that it's up to a year before a player can return.
Had the Colts stayed domestically and closer to where Jones would be at team facilities to continue rehabbing his injury, he might have had a decent chance of missing only the first three games of the season. That Indianapolis will be playing in London probably means he will miss at least four.
Indianapolis Colts playing in London could push Daniel Jones' return back a bit
The team shouldn't try to have the quarterback play his first game overseas simply because the travel takes longer, and that means more time away from the Colts' training room. He might be closer to ready to play by that point, but keeping him from playing for one more week makes more sense.
The potentially positive part is that the Washington Commanders, who will actually be the home team for the game, so Indianapolis won't lose any home games at Lucas Oil Stadium next season, aren't expected to be great. Two seasons ago, they were surprisingly good with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Even if Daniels had stayed healthy last season, Washington would have been bad.
Presuming Daniel Jones does miss the Commanders game in London, this would mean either Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson would start the first four games of the season. That could make or break the Indianapolis Colts' run to the postseason.
A positive exists to that, however. Leonard should be the backup for a number of reasons. One is that he has three years left on his contract, while Richardson only has one. If Indy doesn't want to go looking for more QBs, then they should hope Leonard works out.
Also, Leonard was very good in Week 18 last season when he finally got a chance to start. He played exceedingly well against an elite Houston Texans defense, and Houston played its starters in the first half.
Riley Leonard, if he has to take Daniel Jones' QB1 duties to open the season, could prove he is worth keeping around for a long time if he plays well. Well enough, in fact, to be a long-term starter if Jones falters or gets hurt yet again.
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