The Indianapolis Colts’ once-dream-like season may have turned into a nightmare all of a sudden. They’ve now dropped three consecutive games coming out of their bye week, and they will have to get by for the remainder of the season without starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones went down with a no-contact injury in the first half of their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And now that the news broke that he sustained a season-ending Achilles injury, it feels like the team has no one to blame but themselves for their imminent downfall.
Daniel Jones’ Injury Might be on the Colts
Jones had been dealing with a fractured fibula for the past couple of weeks. That’s why PFSN Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gosling believes this Achilles injury was due to organizational malpractice:
“Jones suffering an Achilles injury might not directly be related to him playing with a fractured fibula, but it certainly couldn’t have helped,” Gosling wrote. “Yes, the Colts are in a heated AFC South divisional race, but Jones, who was in the process of putting together an excellent comeback season, should have taken the time he needed to heal.”
Of course, it’s not like the Colts had many options besides Jones, who was playing the best football of his career. However, it may have been better to keep him out for a game or two as opposed to having him force his body this much:
“The Colts QB was PFSN’s 5th-best QB in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric heading into Week 14 and had already put up over 3000 passing yards on the season,” Gosling added.
MORE: 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Jets, Raiders Trade Up for Quarterbacks in Round 1
“The Colts now face the hardest remaining schedule in the league and will do so without their star QB. What happens with Jones this offseason will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.”
Colts HC Shane Steichen Says They Need to Keep Pushing
Head coach Shane Steichen knows they can’t cry over the spilled milk, and while he knows it won’t be easy to get by without Jones, he still believes his team can take care of business:
“We’ve got everything we want still in front of us. We’ve got to go,” Steichen said after the game, per ESPN. “So, we’ve got to get this thing cleaned up and get ready for Seattle. We’ve got a big one on the road. That’s the message today.”
The Colts will now close out the season with road games against the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans, while also hosting the San Francisco 49ers and Jaguars. Despite an 8-2 start to the season, they may not even make the playoffs.
