INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — From the moment Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones had his torn right Achilles tendon repaired, the goal never wavered.
He was set to start the Colts’ rookie season next season.
On Sunday, Jones’ nearly nine-month journey home will end as he expected: He will take snaps in Week 1, his first game action since early December.
“I feel really good,” he said Wednesday. “It was good to start training camp. I feel even better now. So yeah, I’m happy with where I am physically. I’m definitely excited to be there and grateful to all the people that helped me get to this point.”
Jones has been checking off one box after another since he hit the Jacksonville turf on Dec. 7.
Two days later he had surgery. What followed was a long, grueling rehabilitation process. He reached out to NBA star Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who was still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered during the 2025 Finals, and oversaw the return of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum less than 12 months later.
Each subsequent step gave Jones hope that he, too, would fulfill his promise.
By the spring, he was running again on the Colts’ practice field, and by June he was cleared to do group work and 7-on-7 drills. When he reported to training camp in July, team doctors cleared him to work 11-on-11 without restrictions, and he took full advantage of that, not missing a single practice. He even participated in supervised joint workouts with New England and Atlanta.
But coach Shane Steichen kept him out of all three preseason games, forcing Jones to wait until Sunday’s season opener against Baltimore to check off the next box: getting hit on game day. And he really wants to start.
“I think I’ve completed all the steps in this process and, yeah, I think the last part is getting into the game,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve simulated all of those things except, you know, the hitting and stuff. But I feel good about being in the live game action.”
So did the Colts, who re-signed Jones to a two-year, $88 million contract in March. Incentives could push the final value up to $100 million if he returns to pre-injury form.
Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard believe Jones can get things done quickly.
“Tatum is back, I want to say eight-and-a-half months later, and looking at it, obviously he (Tatum) is moving a little more—Daniel is in the pocket, obviously he needs to move as well,” Steichen said. “But just talking to the guy who did his surgery, talking to trainers and doctors, they all said the same thing – it’s all about the rehab process and the work you put into it. The more you work in rehab, the harder you work, the faster you can recover, and I had no doubt that he (Jones) was going to put in the effort, and he did.”
But the final step — getting fully in sync with an offense that returns nine starters — could take some time.
Although Steichen briefly started in the preseason finale against Detroit, Jones, Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor and new No. 1 wide receiver Alec Pierce were not on the field.
Taylor’s summer workload has been closely monitored as, after registering more than 300 carries in 2024 and 2025, Pierce returned to practice last week after being removed from the physically unable to perform list following ankle surgery in March.
Before his surgery, Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million extension to become the Colts’ No. 1 wide receiver when the team traded Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh. He also expects to play on Sunday without any restrictions. Pierce led all qualifiers in yards per catch in 2024 and 2025.
“Yeah, it was nice (to practice) just to get back into it. It’s nice to be out there,” Pierce said Wednesday. “I think we’ll just have to see how this week goes and continue to build up our stamina in training.”
Jones is also getting to know his new No. 3 receiver, six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, who joined the Colts in mid-August.
But the biggest question is: What will Jones look like on Opening Day?
“I think when you get to Week 1, it’s going to be about the game,” he said. “You have to be extremely focused on what you need to do to play at a high level and put the team in position to win. So I definitely give my thanks and appreciation to all the people that have helped me throughout the process, but it’s time to go (Sunday).”
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