The Indianapolis Colts face a 5-5 Kansas City Chiefs team in Week 12, and most likely, Indy will once again need to win with a great offensive performance. This means Indy's best players need to stay healthy to reach maximum efficiency.
Seemingly out of nowhere, however, quarterback Daniel Jones was listed with an injury on Thursday's injury report. He was limited in practice due to a calf issue. The weird part is that Indy didn't play in Week 11, so it could be the problem that popped up in the week of practice before the Chiefs game.
Maybe there is nothing to worry about. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported Jones' new injury, and advised that possibly the team was simply being cautious, but he also rightfully pointed out that Jones was a full participant in practice on Wednesday.
Daniel Jones pops up on the Indianapolis Colts' Week 12 injury report
While Jones has been successful this season running head coach Shane Steichen's offense and making sure the ball gets out of his hand quickly and to the right receiver, he has also provided sneaky-great athleticism. He can run when needed, and he is deadly near the goal line. If the calf issue is severe enough, that will limit his overall effectiveness.
Sounds like the #Colts are being cautious. Still worth keeping an eye on... https://t.co/KJMGpp4g2C
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 20, 2025
The Chiefs do have a solid defense, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, of course, so even while KC is not having the season it normally does, Kansas City is a very dangerous team, especially at home. A fully healthy Jones will be needed to keep KC's offense off the field, and potentially just outscoring the Chiefs.
While the game is still a few days away, and Indianapolis might say all the right things about Jones' calf problem, fans will definitely want to monitor how Daniel Jones is listed on the final injury report for Week 12, which will come out on Friday.
The hope, obviously, is that Jones is a full participant and the team was simply resting him a little in the middle of the week. This late in the season, it would make sense to do so. The obvious part is that the Indianapolis Colts will need Daniel Jones against the Kansas City Chiefs. No one wants Riley Leonard to be Indy's starter in Week 12.