Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in December.
Despite that incredibly serious injury, the Indianapolis Colts‘ quarterback is expected to be relied upon as his usual starting self for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
It’s flying under the radar, but it’s an injury recovery that bears watching as the Colts get their season rolling.
Indianapolis clearly would take a step back if either Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson was forced to start at QB, so it makes sense that the Colts plan to use Jones to the fullest extent.
It’s just an unusually fast injury recovery.
When Did Daniel Jones Tear His Achilles?
Jones tore his Achilles on Sunday, December 6, 2025.
He got hurt in the first quarter, left the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and had the injury confirmed by head coach Shane Steichen the next day.
The Colts eventually plummeted out of the playoffs altogether, making the bold move to try Philip Rivers and not having that pan out.
“That’s our team leader, our team captain,” wide receiver Alec Pierce said the day after Jones was hurt. “It’s brutal.”
Classically, Achilles tears are a full-year recovery, and often, players aren’t viewed as being their fully healthy selves even after those 12 months have passed.
For Jones, though, he’s set to return to an NFL field about nine months and one week after the Achilles tear.
A Comparison to Jayson Tatum
Colts GM Chris Ballard recently compared Jones to Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.
Tatum tore his Achilles during the 2025 NBA postseason and missed most of the ensuing regular season before returning late in the campaign and then ramping up to contribute in the playoffs.
Yes, Tatum also made it back quicker than 12 months.
This is how Ballard explained it to reporters this week:
“Because I think we – look, an Achilles injury is a major injury, yes, but there’s been enough cases where people have come back. I mean, watch (Jayson) Tatum score 50, like nine and a half months after, 10 months. I mean, so there’s cases. We had Blackmon – Julian, who came back the next year. I mean, there’s just been – we’ve had a number of rehabs here that have come back. So, we felt who he was and the work he would put in. We thought he was going to be – the percentages were high that he was going to get back.”
As The Athletic’s James Boyd points out, though, Tatum didn’t actually score 50 this season. His season-high was 32 points — and Tatum particularly struggled to shoot the ball efficiently after returning from his injury.
I get the point #Colts GM Chris Ballard was making by comparing QB Daniel Jones to #Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Both tore their right Achilles and had their surgeries done by Dr. Martin O’Malley.
BUT, Tatum’s season-high in 2025-26 was 32, not 50. He hasn’t scored 50 since 2023. pic.twitter.com/YMqmxNOk3Z
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 1, 2026
The reality is that the Colts got a great outcome a season ago when they signed Jones and he turned into a surefire starter.
It’s just not a sure thing that in 2026, Jones can be his best self. That’s what the Colts will need, but Achilles injuries are tricky, no matter how much Indianapolis tries to downplay the potential for concern.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Compared to NBA Superstar as Achilles Injury Heals