After suffering a torn Achilles that crushed the Indianapolis Colts’ promising 2025 season, Daniel Jones has already returned to the practice field during OTAs and is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery, raising hopes that he could be ready for week 1.
But while the injury news has been overwhelmingly positive, the national perception of Jones remains far less flattering…
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently included Jones on a list of eight NFL quarterbacks who could be benched during the 2026 season, delivering a reality check just as excitement surrounding his recovery begins to build.
Positive injury update changes the outlook
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
Before getting hurt, Daniel Jones was playing out of his mind. He led the Indianapolis Colts to an 8-5 record as a starter, throwing for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Despite those numbers, Knox believes Jones still faces a lot of pressure entering 2026…
“The Colts are hoping the 29-year-old will return to pre-injury form and provide some long-term stability at quarterback,” Knox wrote. “Jones, who was recently cleared for 7-on-7 work, will need to replicate his 2025 success.”
The concern isn’t necessarily what Jones did in Indianapolis. It’s what he did before arriving there.
Cause during six seasons with the New York Giants, Jones struggled with injuries and inconsistency while never fully living up to his first round billing. Knox pointed out that sustaining high level play on a year to year basis has been one of the biggest questions surrounding Jones throughout his career.
The contract structure also creates pressure. While the deal is worth $88 million over two years, Indianapolis can escape the contract pretty easily after the first year if they’d like to.
Even further, an Achilles injury at 29 is survivable, plenty of quarterbacks have come back from it. But it’s not something you just brush past.
Is a benching actually realistic?
GettyColts QB Daniel Jones
Unlike many quarterbacks featured on Knox’s list, Daniel Jones doesn’t have an obvious successor breathing down his neck.
Riley Leonard hasn’t exactly sparked confidence, and Steichen kinda already showed his hand by calling Philip Rivers out of retirement last year rather than leaning on Leonard. Anthony Richardson is likely gone before the season starts.
So if Jones goes down again or plays poorly enough to force a decision, the Colts have essentially no good fallback.
So Jones probably isn’t getting benched cause every alternative is worse. The Colts don’t have a viable replacement, and Steichen isn’t going to burn the season to make a point. If Jones plays like he did through the first 13 games of 2025, this conversation disappears real quick.
The injury rehab trajectory is encouraging. The supporting cas with guys like Alec Pierce, Tyler Warren, Josh Downs, Jonathan Taylor, is still intact. The coaching continuity is there. If Jones can get back to full health by September, Indy has a real chance to make the playoff push that got cut short last year.
Whether he’s ready for week 1 or not, the Indianapolis Colts are built around Daniel Jones in 2026.
Colts QB Daniel Jones Gets Reality Check Amid Positive Injury News