Daniel Jones has secured his spot as the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback, signing a two-year deal worth $88 million this offseason. Despite that commitment, it’s currently unclear if he’ll be Indy’s Week 1 starter, because he’s still recovering from a torn Achilles that ruptured late last season.
While Jones being ready for the start of the season would be a pretty quick turnaround for a ruptured Achilles, the veteran quarterback isn’t shying away from that being his goal. Speaking with media members on Wednesday, after a Colts’ OTA practice, Jones said he absolutely expects to start in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
Does #Colts QB Daniel Jones (Achilles) expect to start in Week 1? “Absolutely.”
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 27, 2026
“Definitely still work to be done and progress to be made. So, I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to run faster, cut harder. And progress, kind of, according to the program.” pic.twitter.com/7rkLN3e5oB
Daniel Jones expects to start for Colts in Week 1 after tearing Achilles in 2025
Jones is only a partial participant in Indy’s OTAs right now, going through individual drills, but not taking any reps in team periods. Still, the quarterback is working to achieve his goal of being ready for Week 1. He understands there is a lot of work left to be done, and progress to be made, but he’s going to do the work, and is hopeful that his body will respond.
The quarterback’s injury occurred on December 7, 2025, so he’s nearly six months removed, which makes his progress impressive. The Colts season will kick off on Sunday, September 13, which would be nine months after the injury. That would be a remarkable turnaround, as the timeline for an Achilles is usually around 12 months.
While Jones is committed to beating that standard timeline, his recovery would have to be even faster than nine months, because he’ll have to be a full participant in training camp before the team makes the decision to throw him back in the lineup. That means the quarterback will have to be healthy and ready to go at some point in August, at the latest.
If he can do that, it would be impressive, and exciting for the Colts. With Jones in the starting lineup last season, Indianapolis was 8-5, and the quarterback was having one of the best seasons of his career. He completed 68% of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while rushing for 164 yards and five additional touchdowns.
That's why the Colts made the decision to pay him, and now, they are just hoping he can return to the field in the same form.
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