On one hand, the Indianapolis Colts have had a recent slide into second place in the AFC South, and potentially face a playoff-less 2025 future. On the other hand, this is the same team that went 7-1 to begin the year. Daniel Jones is still the quarterback, and head coach Shane Steichen is still calling the plays.
Have there been injuries? Definitely, but the team has dealt with that all season. The key is that one player (Jones) has a recent injury and is trying to continue to play well despite being hurt. So far, the quarterback hasn't been awful and hasn't turned the ball over, but he certainly isn't running as well.
That last part has affected the way the Colts were doing business. Steichen wasn't afraid to go for 4th-and-shorts many times early in the season. Since Jones broke his fibula, he hasn't really tried. He knows the quarterback can't push off with his leg.
Daniel Jones delivered the brutal truth to Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback Riley Leonard
The odd part is that backup Riley Leonard, a rookie who in college at Notre Dame used his legs to keep drives alive, can run well. Maybe Steichen could have Leonard under center on 3rd-and-shorts and 4th-and-shorts instead of Jones until QB1 is fully healthy again. It isn't like Indianapolis tried to hide what it was doing with Jones before he was hurt, so there's no reason to hide Leonard, either.
But that isn't likely to happen, just as Leonard was extremely unlikely to get many real snaps even after Jones was diagnosed with his break. The rookie said as much, according to ESPN.
Leonard admitted to being extremely interested in what Daniel Jones' MRI would say and how the team would then address the injury. Every player wants to play, of course, as they want to prove what they can do. That helps the player and team now, but it definitely helps the player in the future monetarily.
The backup even called team staffers to find out Jones's (and Leonard's, ultimately) fate. Instead, it was Jones who delivered the brutal reality to Leonard. Jones was going to continue to play. So, sorry, Riley Leonard.
Leonard said Danny Dimes simply sent him a three-word text that read, "I'll be good." In other words, Leonard was going to stay on the bench.
The positive part is that Riley Leonard really wants to play. This means he feels prepared enough to be immediately productive. Whether that is the case or not is unknown, but one thing is certain: Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts do not want Leonard to find out the answer this season.