Daniel Jones was having a breakout 2025 NFL season with the Indianapolis Colts before a Week 14 injury ended his campaign early. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon and underwent surgery before their Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers. The devastating diagnosis comes with a lengthy recovery timeline.
When Will Daniel Jones Return for the Indianapolis Colts?
The severity of Jones’ Achilles injury, which required surgery, officially ends his 2025 NFL season. This includes him being unavailable for the upcoming playoffs, should the Colts make it that far. Adam Schefter recently provided an update on the situation and what it could mean for his future in Indianapolis, particularly given his current contract status.
“The belief still is that Jones will play next year in Indianapolis, but his contract expires after this season and he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. A training camp return would be an aggressive timeline for Jones, but the Colts think it’s possible — and this thinking is going to inform their offseason approach to free agency,” reported Schefter.
The veteran quarterback signed just a one-year contract with the franchise during the offseason. Still, he significantly exceeded his expectations before the brutal injury he suffered in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He beat out Anthony Richardson in training camp to be named their starter and proceeded to have an impressive year.
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Jones currently ranks fifth among all quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for this season and also won eight of his first ten games with the Colts. He had them firmly planted in the playoff race, but without him, it will be challenging for them to earn a spot. Philip Rivers came out of retirement to replace him, but lost his first start of the year.
Schefter pointed out that the Colts still want Jones back for next season, and potentially beyond that, but his expiring contract complicates the situation. His projected timeline to make a return is reportedly between six and eight months, so he may not be medically cleared to get back onto the field until next summer.
This could significantly impact their plans during the free agency period, or even the 2026 NFL Draft, as their quarterback situation has become uncertain amid his injury and expiring contract.
It may be difficult to trust his availability with the projected timeline, so they may need to explore other options, or perhaps a temporary fill-in if they were to extend their injured quarterback anyway.
