Safe to say the entire Indianapolis Colts fanbase knew the moment Daniel Jones' knee buckled on a non-contact play, this team was doomed. Daniel Jones stepped back to pass and looked a bit awkward in his stance, which caused him to suffer an Achilles injury.
When asked about the injury, the often coy Shane Steichen said that Jones's injury was “not looking good.”
Well, Colts fans, he was correct. The Colts have confirmed that Daniel Jones has suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon. This is separate from the minor fibula fracture that he is nursing in his left leg. Surgery is expected soon.
Indianapolis Colts move ahead without Daniel Jones
It’s a disappointing end to what was heading towards a promising comeback season for Daniel Jones. He was being mentioned in the MVP discussion earlier in the season. Steichen had seemingly finally found the missing piece to his complex scheme. Now the Colts will rely on rookie Riley Leonard or the recently signed Philip Rivers as they advance through the final weeks of the season.
Injuries have become a part of every football team, but to see Daniel Jones go down on a non-contact drop-back, just absolutely gutted this fanbase. You could see the emotion with Shane Steichen in his post-game presser. He was absolutely gutted for not only Daniel but for the entire team.
A team that was looking to bounce back from their first sign of struggles. The offense was becoming stagnant and relying more on Daniel Jones and less on Jonathan Taylor. The defense got a boost from the Sauce Gardner trade, but now (with his injury), it has come back to their old selves again.
As the final stretch of the season has begun, the “not looking good” quote he said at the presser is now how the remainder of this season could look. Taylor will likely have to shoulder a larger role again, and without an experienced quarterback, it will continue to cast doubt on whether this is a true playoff team, even with Rivers potentially behind center.
Moreover, the team is clearly scrambling to find any kind of long-term replacement for Daniel Jones. Even if Indy inks Jones to a new deal, he will miss most of 2026. Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard are not long-term options. Instead, the Colts might be back to Step One, which would be Anthony Richardson, of course.