The Indianapolis Colts are finishing up their OTAs and minicamp before taking a month off ahead of training camp. This spring and possibly for much of the summer before the new season begins, starting quarterback Daniel Jones will be extremely limited.
After tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 14 last year, Jones is still working his way back. He has participated in 7-on-7 drills, but the team is stopping him from taking part in 11-on-11 drills in minicamp. This is the case even though Jones asked if he could do so. The team said no.
To be fair, general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen might have a bit of PTSD from what happened last season with their quarterback. Jones played on a broken fibula for a few weeks when maybe he shouldn't have been. No proof exists that the injury led to his torn Achilles tendon, but no proof exists that it didn't.
Daniel Jones asked the Indianapolis Colts to let him play 11-on-11 but the team said no
In other words, the Indianapolis Colts are in no mood to keep QB1 running and practicing in June when there is a chance that he aggravates the injury he is rehabbing, and he missed a big part of the beginning of the new season. Practice is important, of course, but real games are far more so.
What's impressive is that Daniel Jones is already practicing even a bit. Torn Achilles tendons can keep some players out for a full year. If Week 1 were at the end of June, he wouldn't be playing, but if he can return in September, that would mean a nine-month return, which is still quite fast.
The injury was to Jones' push leg when he throws. The Colts have to make sure that he is 100 percent ready to return when he does come back because he will be putting on the pressure, especially on deep throws, on that leg. If he isn't fully healthy, that would affect his velocity and accuracy on throws down the field to, say, wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Part of what made the Indianapolis offense hum in the first part of last season was that Jones and the passing game could play so well off what running back Jonathan Taylor could do. When a team crunched the line of scrimmage, Jones and Pierce could throw over the top.
That same formula should work quite well again in 2026, but only if Daniel Jones is fully healthy and ready to play. He was only re-signed to a two-year deal this offseason. Losing one of those seasons (or most of one) by rushing the starting quarterback back would be a grave mistake.
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