Daniel Jones was ruled out of the game vs the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with what appeared to be a serious Achilles injury. It was early in the game when the 28-year-old dropped to the ground and grabbed his right leg. He had to be taken off the field, straight to the locker room. Riley Leonard replaced him. At the time of writing this story, the Indianapolis Colts trailed 13-31.
NFL Insiders later revealed that Jones will undergo MRIs and other tests. If a torn Achilles is confirmed, he is likely to miss about nine months, ruling him out for this season. His first backup, Anthony Richardson, is also on the Injured Reserve list.
Jones has been pushing through a fractured bone in his left leg, though he’s unsure when the injury happened or when the discomfort first appeared. For the past two weeks, he’s repeatedly insisted he’s healthy enough to stay on the field.
But the results tell a different story. Over the last month, his play has noticeably dipped. With defenses dialing up more pressure, Jones has struggled to move with the same fluidity and his accuracy has slipped compared to the strong form he showed during Indianapolis’ first eight games of the season.
Positive update on Daniel Jones
In some relief for Colts fans, Angela Moryan of WISH 8 News reported that Jones spent the second half on the sideline with an earpiece in and a walking boot. His presence outside the locker room is an encouraging sign, a torn Achilles would have almost certainly kept him off the field entirely.
While the boot suggests he’s dealing with something significant and could still miss time, the fact that he’s upright and with teammates points to the likelihood he avoided a season-ending setback, a scenario that would have dealt a massive blow to the Colts’ playoff hopes.