Daniel Jones keeps checking boxes at Grand Park.
Eight months removed from a torn Achilles’ tendon, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback has moved through the opening days of 2026 training camp looking like the player who helped carry Indianapolis to the NFL’s best offense for half of last season — not like someone still working his way back from a major injury.
Jones tore his Achilles’ against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14 of the 2025 season. He was cleared to practice in full beginning Wednesday, July 29 — just seven and a half months after the injury, and he wasted no time showing it.
On the opening day of camp, Jones took every single first-team rep and went 4-of-8 through the air, according to a camp notebook from 107.5 The Fan. He connected on a couple of tightly guarded comeback routes against cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner in the final period, and — notably for a player who wasn’t allowed to move much during spring practices — took off on a scramble outside the pocket. His lone miss of the morning was an airmailed throw on a rollout to his left late in the session.
on target. pic.twitter.com/0UVOk2S5jE
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 1, 2026
Colts.com’s own account of Day 1 matched that read. Jones opened practice with consecutive completions to tight end Tyler Warren, hit wide receiver Josh Downs on a play-action rollout to his right, and scrambled when the pocket broke down, per the team’s site.
Jones isn’t getting ahead of himself, even with the clean tape piling up. “It’s building the strength back and building the repetition and getting your body used to doing it again,” Jones said. “I think every time you do it, you get a little stronger, a little better, a little more used to it.” He said he plans to keep building through camp’s six-week runway to Week 1.
A recovery that never got rushed
Jones’ path back started almost immediately after surgery. He told the Colts in January his expectation was to be ready for the start of training camp, and nothing since has knocked him off that timeline. After re-signing with Indianapolis in March, he progressed from drop-back throwing drills to individual work, then eased into seven-on-seven periods during the final two weeks of OTAs and minicamp — all without live contact or extended scrambling, according to the team’s training camp preview.
That changed the moment camp opened. Head coach Shane Steichen has already been able to evaluate Jones in full-speed, full-team settings for the first time since the injury, and general manager Chris Ballard addressed Jones’ health directly with reporters when players arrived at Grand Park on July 28.
The stakes for Indianapolis go beyond one player’s recovery. Jones started 13 games in 2025 and, over that stretch, finished third in the NFL in yards per attempt at 8.1, fourth in completion percentage at 68 percent, and sixth in passer rating at 100.2 — numbers that helped push Indianapolis into the league’s top offensive tier before the injury ended his season.
| 2025 Statistical Rank (13 starts) | Daniel Jones’ NFL Rank |
|---|---|
| Yards per attempt (8.1) | 3rd |
| Completion percentage (68%) | 4th |
| Passer rating (100.2) | 6th |
Backup battle still wide open
While Jones’ QB1 job was never in question entering camp, the room behind him is far from settled. Anthony Richardson Sr., who opened 2025 as the primary backup before a freak pregame accident ended his season in Week 6, is back after requesting a trade earlier in the offseason and drew praise from coaches for his approach during the voluntary program. Riley Leonard, who stepped in after Jones went down and started the regular-season finale against Houston, is competing for the same reps.
Through camp’s opening days, Richardson has rotated with Jones between the first- and second-team offense, with both young quarterbacks still auditioning for the No. 2 job through August.
Indianapolis opens the regular season on Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium. Camp continues to run through joint practices with the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons before the preseason gets underway.
