NFL Insiders Felt Colts' Daniel Jones 'Couldn't Move At All' With Leg Injury

There is reportedly a belief among some in the NFL that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones' mobility is being severely impacted by a leg injury.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, sources in Houston following the Colts' 20-16 loss to the Houston Texans this past weekend expressed their belief that Jones "really couldn't move at all" as a result of his injury.

Other sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Jones' "mobility appears compromised."

Last week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t NFL.com's Grant Gordon) reported that Jones was dealing with a fractured fibula, which he intended to play through. Rapoport added that Jones was "not concerned" about the ailment.

Jones did indeed play against the Texans in a key AFC South clash, completing 14 of his 27 passing attempts for 201 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

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However, he rushed only one time for one yard, and he ceded to tight end Tyler Warren on a quarterback sneak attempt, which increased speculation that either Jones or the Colts weren't comfortable with him running.

Since starting the season 7-1, the Colts have lost three of their past four games to drop to 8-4, while losing their AFC South lead in the process.

Jones, 28, was considered an MVP candidate prior to the Colts' slide, and his dual-threat ability had something to do with it, as he has five rushing touchdowns on the season to go along with his 19 passing touchdowns.

Running has been a big part of Jones' game over the year, as he rushed for 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns over his six seasons with the New York Giants, including a career-high 708 yards and seven scores in 2022.

Jones has not come close to that rushing yardage total since then, and even before getting injured this season, he wasn't running with reckless abandon, as he has accrued just 160 yards on the ground.

Still, Jones is a player who can take off when he needs to, and based on his apparent reluctance to do so against Houston, Fowler noted that it is believed Jones is "clearly not 100 percent."

However, Fowler also reported that it is believed the injury is one Jones "can play through," and that rest isn't likely to make it any better.

That suggests the Colts will stick with Jones during the home stretch of the season, including Sunday's road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC South lead.

Indy does boast the NFL's leading rusher in running back Jonathan Taylor, so it won't be surprising if the team leans heavily on him in order to alleviate some of Jones' workload.