Quarterback Daniel Jones, speaking to the media on Thursday for the first time since re-signing with the Colts, said he expects to be fully ready to play as the Colts starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2026 season, if not sooner. The 28-year-old is just a few months removed from sustaining his season-ending Achilles injury, but he's feeling just about as good as he possibly can.
"I'm very confident in being back to 100 percent and ready to go," Jones said Thursday. "I'm in a good spot, I'm on schedule. I think from everything the doctors are telling me, trainers, rehab, PTs, I think I'm in a good spot. I've hit my marks and just have to continue to do that. It's a process. You kind of just keep checking the boxes and keep progressing as the rehab protocol lays out. So I'll just stick to that, but I feel good with where I am right now."
Jones didn't lay out a specific timetable other than that goal of being ready for Week 1, but he said he does anticipate being able to practice during training camp. Whether or not he gets any opportunities earlier in the preseason – like OTAs, for example – will remain in the hands of the doctors and trainers, but Jones didn't rule it out either.
"There's a lot of work to do, and I'm ready to do it," he said. "I've got to continue, like I said, check the boxes, progress as the doctors and PTs and everybody instructs me. And my job is to do the work and make sure I'm consistent with it. So that's what I'll do, and I think if I continue to do that and progress, I should be ready to go."
In talking with other NFL quarterbacks who sustained similar Achilles injuries, like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins, Jones said he learned the importance of patience in the initial post-surgery rehab process, and that there's time to push himself later on in his recovery. But just because he had to take it easier physically didn't mean he took a break mentally; just days after he sustained the Achilles tear in early December, Jones was already back in meeting rooms and working on himself however he could.
"He's a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability," general manager Chris Ballard said in January. "I do feel confident that he will make it back. Will he be the version you saw right away? Maybe not, but he's still going to be really good. I think as he goes along and plays, he'll be fine. The one thing I know about Daniel, like he's going to put every – like he hasn't missed anything. The second he got hurt, he gets his surgery done, comes back in the building, in every meeting. I mean, he rehabs like a wild man. So, I know this – he's going to put every ounce of his being into being the best he can be to be ready."
In February at the 2026 NFL Combine, Ballard reiterated that Jones is on track and has been as diligent as ever with his work – "you almost got to bring back a little bit," Ballard said – and the Colts feel good about Jones' future.
"I just think the way he prepares, how he's built, I think in the long run Daniel's going to be perfectly fine," Ballard said.
And just a reminder: Jones has already shown how durable and resilient he can be by playing through a fractured fibula for two games before sustaining that Achilles injury. So while injuries are certainly a part of the game, Jones is well-versed in how to manage them and come back even better.
"I've certainly had my fair share of injuries throughout my career, but I think that's part of it," Jones said. "I work hard to keep my body in a good place, and unfortunately at times you get some tough breaks here and there. But I'm confident I can stay healthy and protect myself."