WESTFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Daniel Jones already has accomplished one feat with the Indianapolis Colts this season. He returned to the practice field, uninhibited, as training camp opened Wednesday.
Now he’s ready to finish the job.
Indy’s starting quarterback participated in full team drills for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles tendon nearly eight months ago, marking the beginning of a season in which he hopes to prove his fast start in 2025 was no fluke.
“It definitely was a goal of mine to be back for the first day of training camp, so there’s some satisfaction in that,” Jones said following a light workout in shorts at Grand Park Sports Complex. “But it’s still a process, there’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s important to have a good first day.”
Most projections had Jones starting the Sept. 13 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. The rest of the prognosis remained unclear until the past few months.
General manager Chris Ballard had to decide whether to re-sign Jones, who suffered the noncontact injury during a Dec. 7 loss at Jacksonville. Ballard wasted little time in applying the transition tag to Jones, then reached a two-year, $88 million deal with the incumbent starter.
Jones took his first big step when he was cleared to do limited work during the Colts’ offseason program, closing it out by advancing to position drills and 7-on-7 work.
On Tuesday, Ballard announced Jones had been cleared to participate in 11-on-11 drills, and on Wednesday, Jones started showing what he could do — even an unscripted scramble.
Teammates expected nothing less.
“I don’t know how those injuries go, but I hear about timelines,” 2021 NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor said. “I know the worker that he is, so the fact he’s back out there right now, it doesn’t surprise me. I know Daniel was more than equipped, as you guys can see, to fight through this and get back out here.”
Now Jones must answer two more questions: Can he stay healthy and can he replicate the incredible 8-2 start he had last year, his first in Indy?
Jones has dealt with myriad injuries throughout his career. A broken collar bone cost him two games during his final college season at Duke, and he missed two more games with a sprained ankle after the New York Giants selected him with the No. 6 draft pick in 2019.
Minor injuries cost him two more games in 2020, and he suffered a concussion and a season-ending neck injury in 2021. Jones also missed all but six games in 2023 because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Minnesota signed Jones when he was released in 2024, but he never took a snap with the Vikings.
Last year, he played through a hairline fracture in his lower left leg before suffering the Achilles tendon injury.
When healthy, Jones has played well.
He led the Giants to the playoffs in 2022 and had the Colts’ prolific offense on a historically productive pace last year — until the injuries hit. In 13 games, Jones completed a career-high 68.0% and threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
Ballard believes he can replicate that performance in 2026.
“With Daniel you get the same guy every day, and his care factor is extremely high,” Ballard said Tuesday. “His work has not changed since the day he stepped in here. I mean, he has been consistent in how he works, how he treats people, how he deals day to day, how he is every day in the building and how he leads.”
In addition to steadily ramping up Jones’ workouts, Indy also must choose a backup in a competition that features Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard.
Richardson’s promising career has been derailed by injuries and inaccuracy, and he has requested a trade. The Colts drafted the former Florida quarterback with the No. 4 pick in 2023.
Leonard was a sixth-round pick in 2025. The Duke and Notre Dame product filled in as the Colts’ starter last season when Jones was injured.
Coach Shane Steichen said he plans to split the snaps between the two, and Ballard said Tuesday he intends to keep Richardson despite the trade request, for now.
But it’s Jones’ progression that will continue to draw the most attention.
“It felt good out there today,” he said. “You build (the quarterback runs) into your drill work, into your rehab and all that stuff I’ve been doing, so it felt good doing it, and it’s good to be able to do it.”
Jonathan Taylor enters contract year
Taylor is entering another contract year with the Colts, but this time it doesn’t appear nearly as contentious as it was in 2023 when Taylor did not practice at camp, requested a trade and missed the first four games with a sprained right ankle. Eventually, he signed a three-year extension before returning to the field in October.
Ballard said Tuesday he has contacted Taylor’s agent and the two have had discussions about an extension, and Taylor has decided to stay on the field as the two sides continue to talk.
“There’s been some good conversations and I have faith between my agent and the front office,” Taylor said. “I’ve already said I’d love to be a Colt for life, so I have faith they’re moving in the right direction.”
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