The Indianapolis Colts posted a short training camp clip Monday showing offensive linemen shielding quarterback Daniel Jones during a team drill, captioning the video “no fly zone around 1.” The post is part of a broader camp storyline: Jones working his way back from a torn Achilles’ as the Colts open the 2026 season with him as their unquestioned starter.
The eight-second video shows Jones dropping back in a red non-contact jersey while a Colts offensive lineman engages a pass rusher just in front of him. It’s a small moment, but it fits the theme the team has leaned into all camp: keeping Jones upright and building his confidence back up in the pocket.
Jones Building Back After Achilles Tear
Jones tore his Achilles’ in Week 14 of the 2025 season, an injury that ended a breakout stretch that had the Colts sitting at 8-2 and Jones in the Comeback Player of the Year conversation, according to SI’s Horseshoe Huddle. He signed a new contract with the team in March and spent the offseason progressing from individual throwing work to full seven-on-seven reps by the end of minicamp, per the Colts’ official training camp preview.
Camp opened July 29 at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana, and Jones took the field for full team periods for the first time since his injury. He completed 4 of 8 passes in that first practice, but the more notable rep came when he escaped pressure and picked up yards with his legs instead of throwing the ball away — a sign, according to SI’s Colts site, that his mobility is trending back toward normal less than eight months post-surgery.
no fly zone around 1. pic.twitter.com/0K5MwNgyCJ
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 3, 2026
“It’s not a lack of confidence necessarily,” Jones said, according to that same report. “I think it’s just building the strength back and building the repetition. Getting your body used to doing it again.”
Why the Protection Matters Right Now
Every rep Jones takes in pads this camp is being watched closely, both for how his legs hold up and for how the offensive line performs in front of him. Head coach Shane Steichen has been tracking those early practices closely, and the Colts have continued running him through 11-on-11 work as camp progresses, according to the team’s own training camp coverage.
Backup quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. remains part of the QB room as well, with the two continuing to work through camp reps together, per Colts.com’s training camp media availability recap. But for now, all signs point to Jones as the clear starter heading into Indy’s Sept. 13 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
The team’s social post is a small window into that larger effort — protect the quarterback, let him build trust in his surgically repaired leg, and get him ready for a full season.
