Indianapolis Colts injured starting quarterback Daniel Jones took to his personal Instagram account to express his heartfelt thanks to his teammates, coaching staff and Hoosiers faithful (via James Boyd of The Athletic ):
Jones, of course, deserves a lot of credit, and his leadership and toughness should be commended as he started and played the team’s last three games with a broken fibula. Unfortunately, he suffered a fractured fibula in his left leg, which may have caused his right leg to try to overcompensate, and his right leg buckled late in the first quarter of last Sunday’s road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, non-contact, as Jones tore his right Achilles tendon.
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Jones underwent season-ending surgery earlier this week, and on the optimistic side, he will need at least nine months to recover.
As the Colts’ pending priority free agent, a serious injury could complicate future contract negotiations during the offseason. At the very least, the long-term deal Jones had expected with Indianapolis may be shortened to a 1-2 year “proven” deal.
Still, Colts brass, including ownership, may recognize that Jones is costing himself some additional financial stability by playing while injured, when he could have easily shut down the Colts a few weeks ago. Instead, Jones faces a longer road to recovery and questions about whether he can return to his previous physical form.
With no 2026 first-round pick available and unlikely to re-sign 45-year-old Philip Rivers at season’s end (at least I think?), it still makes sense for Indianapolis to re-sign Jones to a short-term deal. That being said, the Minnesota Vikings have experienced more downturns with former tight end JJ McCarthy at quarterback, and they may consider bringing Jones back since they competed with Indy for Jones this past offseason.