Daniel Jones Updates Injury Status, Return Timeline After Work Out at Colts OTAs Amid Achilles Rehab

Daniel Jones took an important step in his recovery from an Achilles tear that required surgery and was seen working out during the Indianapolis Colts' OTAs on Wednesday.

The quarterback was on the field nearly six months following surgery and also provided an update on his rehab, saying that he "absolutely" expects to start for the Colts in Week 1.

The injury concerns didn't stop the Colts from agreeing to a new two-year, $88 million deal with Jones this offseason after they previously placed the transition tag on him.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in March that Jones was "expected to be ready for the start of the regular season."

Being on the field at this stage of OTAs underscores that timeline and should give Indianapolis plenty of confidence as it looks to challenge for an AFC South crown during the 2026 campaign.

Jones' career has largely been defined by inconsistency since he entered the league as a first-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 2019. He never fully lived up to the expectations that came with being the No. 6 overall pick in New York and went 24-44-1 as a starter.

However, he did lead the Giants to the playoffs during the 2022 campaign before going a combined 3-13 as a starter the next two seasons.

Despite an unceremonious ending to his time in the Big Apple, Jones immediately thrived in Indianapolis. He went 8-5 as a starter last season and completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,101, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while adding 164 yards and five scores as a runner.

The Colts seemed well on their way to the postseason and perhaps a deep run when they started 8-2, but Jones' injury was part of a disappointing end of the campaign that saw them lose their final seven games to miss the postseason entirely.

Whether Jones can return to health and form in 2026 will go a long way toward determining if Indianapolis will bounce back from that late slump, and he is already back on the field and working.

The AFC South team starts the season Sept. 13 against the Baltimore Ravens.