Daniel Jones' Achilles injury hurts contract negotiations; Insider gives Anthony Richardson update

Daniel Jones, who was already playing with a lower leg injury, hurt his right Achilles tendon against the Jacksonville Jaguars

Published on: Dec 8, 2025, 01:05:10 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Daniel Jones injury update: The Indianapolis Colts are worried. Quarterback Daniel Jones, who was already playing with a lower leg injury, hurt his right Achilles tendon against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. He was ruled out of the game and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025 season.

Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts walks off the field after an injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars (Getty Images via AFP)

Early in the game, Jones dropped to the ground and grabbed the back of his right leg. He slammed his helmet on the ground, visibly in pain. The star QB was taken off the field. Riley Leonard replaced him.

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, meanwhile, brought in an interesting angle - Jones' contract. “If the MRI confirms a torn Achilles, Daniel Jones will face a 9-month recovery that puts him right up against the start of 2026 season. Jones is a pending free agent, though Indy wants him back,” he posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

The 28-year-old is currently on a 1-year, $14 million deal with the Colts for the 2025 season, a significant shift from his large 4-year, $160 million contract with the Giants (2023-2026) that was cut short due to injury. A potential Achilles tear would likely impact his contract negotiations.

Jones has been playing with a broken bone in his left leg. He said he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred or when he first noticed something didn’t seem right. He maintained the past two weeks he feels healthy enough to play.

Jones’ performance, however, has declined over the past month. As defenses put increasingly more pressure on Jones, he has looked less mobile, at times, and has been less accurate completing throws than he was in Indy’s first eight games.

Anthony Richardson update

The Colts have a total of three QBs on their official depth chart - Daniel Jones (injured), Anthony Richardson (injured), and Riley Leonard. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad.

As Jones was injured, first updates on Richardson came in. The fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and former franchise quarterback is currently on injured reserve after suffering a broken orbital during pre-game stretches in Week 6.

He is not expected to be back anytime soon.

(With AP inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

Catch all the latest Sports News, scores, and highlights in one place. Stay updated with real-time coverage of your favorite games and athletes along with Lionel Messi latest updates.