Against all odds, Daniel Jones is back on the field roughly eight months after fracturing his fibula and tearing his Achilles. Not only is he taking snaps and partaking in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, but he's moving with no limitations.
Unlike with DeForest Buckner and Alec Pierce, Shane Steichen's team didn't err on the side of caution with their quarterback. They're giving him a green light to test his recovery, and he's aced every challenge he's faced thus far.
Notably, that includes taking snaps under center. While that might not look like a big thing, it's actually huge for a player coming off an Achilles injury, and it gives the Colts' offense a jump start and a full playbook to work with.
Daniel Jones taking snaps under center will be huge for the Indianapolis Colts
When asked about this, the Colts' quarterback revealed that taking snaps under center was something he actually emphasized during the recovery process. He knows just how crucial it was for the offense's timing and rhythm:
"I think that was something I tried to focus on through the rehab process, is pushing off that foot when I'm under center and making sure you're not disrupting timing w (h/t Stephen Holder). "A lot of the (physical therapy) people, (Erin Barill) and them had me working on stuff to push off from center."
Most quarterbacks need a year to recover their mobility and shiftiness after ACL or Achilles injuries. Likewise, most teams would've probably had Jones take most — if not all — snaps in shotgun to avoid putting some unnecessary pressure on the leg.
The Colts' offense took a big hit when Jones suffered a broken leg and was forced to live in the shotgun. It obviously takes a big toll on Jonathan Taylor's efficiency and explosiveness, not to mention it limited Jones' elusiveness and underrated mobility.
While he's not given enough credit for that, Jones can make things happen with his legs. Whether it's scrambling after a broken play or running bootlegs, he's much faster and more elusive than it seems at first glance, and opposing defenses have to keep guessing when he's taking snaps under center.
Rehab in artificial settings is a thing of the past. Athletes now know that they must recover and practice in game-like situations, pushing their bodies and getting them used to what they must do when they have the pads on.
Jones worked on these unscripted movements in his recovery, twisting, planting, and pushing his Achilles to execute a handoff or a play fake. This approach certainly comes with some setback risks, but his body has responded well to the added stress and pressure, and it looks like he was never hurt after all.
This will be a crucial season for Shane Steichen, who's running out of time and the benefit of the doubt. He needs to open up the playbook for his $88 million quarterback to keep his job, and Jones will look to prove that last year's early success wasn't a fluke.
The jury is still out on him, and while some might still have doubts about whether he's the right guy for the job, no one can argue his commitment and toughness.
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