The sight of Daniel Jones collapsed on the field reaching for his leg looked all too painfully familiar.
Jones suffered a non-contact Achilles injury in his right leg – feared to be a rupture that will keep him out for the rest of this season and could carry over into 2026 – in the first half of the Colts’ 36-19 loss to the Jaguars.
“Not for sure,” head coach Shane Steichen said, “but it’s not looking good.”
It was just 25 months ago that Jones’ right leg gave out on him while he was backpedaling in the pocket for the Giants against the Raiders. He suffered a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season.
Just like then, Jones was dealing with a pre-existing injury Sunday when the worst happened.
Jones, 28, was playing through a fractured fibula for the third straight while wearing a hybrid thigh pad/shin guard on his left leg designed by one of his former Duke teammates. He planted that leg but went down in the pocket as he threw a pass.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones grabs his right ankle after suffering an injury against the Jaguars on Dec. 7, 2025. AP
The normally reserved Jones slammed his helmet into the ground repeatedly as trainers looked over his leg. He limped back to the locker room under his own power and was immediately ruled out for the game.
“Any time you lose a guy that’s put in so much work, that keeps showing up for the guys, it’s tough,” Steichen said.
The injury comes at a devastating time for the Colts and for Jones.
The spiraling Colts turned to rookie Riley Leonard because backup quarterback Anthony Richardson – the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft who lost a preseason battle to Jones – remains on injured reserve with an orbital fracture in his face. He has not been cleared for football-related activities.
Daniel Jones walked off the field following an injury in the Colts-Jaguars clash on Dec. 7, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAfter a 7-1 start, the Colts had lost three of their last four games entering the first-place showdown with the Jaguars. Their grasp on a playoff spot is slipping away, which could put a spotlight on the job security of Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard.
For Jones, the injury comes at a crossroads in his career.
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After he was cut by the Giants and finished last season on the Vikings practice squad, Jones revitalized his career with the high-scoring Colts. He will be a free agent after the season and was playing his way into a second massive play day and a secure position as a franchise quarterback.
Jones’ 19 touchdown passes this season are the most since his 24 as a rookie first-round pick of the Giants in 2019. His eight wins as a starter are the second-most of his career, behind only 2022 when the Giants snuck into the playoffs and Jones earned a four-year, $160 million contract.
The Giants benched Jones when their 2024 season was lost because of fear that he would get injured and the injury guarantee in his contract would kick in. Jones has dealt with a multitude of significant injuries in his career, including two to his neck (one surgery) and a concussion.
Leonard threw for 145 yards and an interception in place of Jones.
