RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesWESTFIELD – As he marveled at the zip on the ball and the fluidity with which his starting quarterback moved during recent private workouts in Florida, Colts receiver Josh Downs says he had to remind himself that Daniel Jones was ever injured.
“That’s how good he looked out there. I’m excited to see him out there, full-go and getting after it,” Downs said Tuesday.
Wednesday marks a monumental day for the 29-year-old quarterback , who a year ago entered camp on a one-year, $14 million prove-it deal that only promised him the chance to compete with 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson Sr. for the Colts ’ starting role, and no more.
In Indianapolis, Jones matched wits with head coach Shane Steichen and found himself holding the car keys to what in September and October was the league’s most electric offense, and seemed a shoo-in to compete for the AFC’s top seed and threaten for a deep playoff push.
Not yet even eight months ago, Jones collapsed onto the turf in Indianapolis’ house of horrors in Jacksonville. A resurgent campaign that had sparked MVP conversations had been first hampered by a fractured fibula and then ended with the snap of his right Achilles tendon Dec. 7. But Wednesday, Jones returned to the field without restrictions. What once was a very real question -- whether Jones would be ready for a Week 1 return -- seems a foregone conclusion.
“The fact that he’s back and full-go already, that should tell you what you wanna hear right there,” Downs said. “The guy's put in the work.”
Starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann said: “That just gets you fired up. As an offensive line and the whole team, we’re excited to have him out there and leading the offense like he did last year. We all love the guy and love playing with him, spending time with him. I’m not surprised (Jones is back). I know him and know the kind of guy he is, and he’s proven it over and over again for his team. ... I think it just shows his character and how much he cares.”
Jones, who was not made available to speak to the media Tuesday, may have been ready to take this step six weeks ago during mandatory veteran mini-camp but was held back due to an abundance of caution. During 7-on-7 drills and routes on air, the Colts starter’s footwork was choppy at times, but the naked eye showed no zip lost on his throws. Multiple times in front of the media, he closed practice with his own set of sprint drills long after his teammates had retreated to the locker room until his brow was drenched in sweat.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard chuckled when he referenced just how many eyes within the franchise – not to mention those of the media, fans and the NFL community at-large – will be locked in on Jones’ every move during camp, but Indianapolis has no plans to put its starting quarterback through any sort or snap count or pre-schedule an abnormal number of off-days as Jones readies himself to return to the field for Week 1 against the Ravens nine months and six days since he tore his Achilles.
“I’ve watched him work, and he looks really good. He’s not going to tell you he’s 100% yet, but he’s working toward that and getting close,” Ballard said. “But he’s cleared, and he looks really good when I watched him throw a few weeks ago.
“Any time you go through surgery, there’s always going to be a little bit of a new normal for any player. It doesn’t mean they’re not great again – just that there’s a new normal, and you’ve got to work through that.”
If anything, Ballard added, there may be less anxiousness for both sides this summer.
“He’s just so consistent in who he is, and I think there’s more of a comfort level with him, the organization and his teammates and his coaches of what’s expected of him. With Daniel, you get the same guy every day, and his care factor is extremely high.
“There’s probably a little more anxiousness a year ago because of the unknown. You didn’t know if he was going to be the starter or not. But when you know you’re the guy, there’s a little different level of comfort – but his work hasn’t changed since the day he stepped in here.”
What lingers, though, is the question mark that may shadow the rest of Jones’ career. He's a former sixth-overall pick who has started every meaningful regular season game in a season just once in seven seasons – leading to his midseason separation with the Giants in 2024 less than two seasons into a lucrative extension that followed his playoff appearance in 2022.
Ballard, too, knows there’s no escaping it. In Jones, though, the Colts GM sees a kindred spirit to Alex Smith, the former 49ers, Chiefs and Commanders quarterback who Ballard watched blossom in Kansas City after an injury-ravaged start to his career in San Francisco. In his five years with the Chiefs that ended as the Patrick Mahomes era began, Smith made at least 15 regular season starts each year for a team that three times reached 11 wins.
Ultimately, Jones’ value to the Indianapolis front office, the franchise and fan base doesn’t come in flashy 10-game bursts but prolonged stints of success and clean bills of health – a reality Ballard knows all too well from his decade of cursed quarterback play in Indianapolis.
Jones’ body of work – 82 starts in seven seasons – suggests the Duke standout is good for somewhere around 12 starts (he’s reached at least 10 in six of his seven seasons). Indianapolis’ playoff prospects in all likelihood hinge on Jones breaking that trend – among other factors – but after 16 months of getting a front-row seat to a next-level workaholic, how could you not expect that, Ballard argues.
“I remember talking to (retired Colts quarterback) Andrew (Luck) a long time about it, and when we talk about staying healthy, your value to the team is being out there and playing, and if you’re not, that hurts the team,” Ballard said. “And look, a little bit of last year for Daniel is a freak deal with the Achilles and then the bone injury against Atlanta, when he ...
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