Daniel Jones Achilles Injury: Will Colts QB Be Ready to Play by Week 1?

Jones tore his Achilles toward the end of the 2025 season. | Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Quarterback Daniel Jones on Wednesday agreed to sign a new two-year, $88 million deal with the Colts, effectively completing—or at least extending for another couple of seasons—his NFL comeback tour.

But once he puts pen to paper ... when will he be able to play? That is the million-dollar question. In case you forgot, the 28-year-old signal-caller is currently recovering from an Achilles tear suffered toward the end of last season, one of the multiple QB room afflictions that famously prompted the Colts to bring in the retired Philip Rivers to finish their campaign.

As far as injuries go, an Achilles rupture is pretty much worst-case scenario for any athlete. They are complex, painful, and involve a long rehab, one that can sideline you for about a year, depending on severity. But there are, of course, exceptions to that timeline. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, for example, just returned to the hardwood only 10 months after his initial tear. Elsewhere, 49ers tight end George Kittle, who tore his tendon in the playoffs in January, recently insisted he could be back in action by October or November of this year.

So what will the case be for Indiana Jones? The Colts must have some faith that he'll be ready to go, considering the lucrative deal he just signed. (Notably, $50 million of the $100 max value deal is fully guaranteed at signing, while $60 million is guaranteed for injury, Jones's agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter).

But we don't have to guess, in any event—luckily, Jones weighed in on the topic during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, during which he also shared some of his excitement about the new deal.

Daniel Jones return timeline

Without committing to anything one way or another, Jones revealed to McAfee that his goal is to play immediately once the season starts.

"It's all a process and going through it," Jones told McAfee, who did the necessary hedging to note that nothing is a lock at this very moment. "My goal is to be back by Week 1 and be ready to go. I think that's what we're working towards, and should be able to accomplish. ... I'm planning on being back, and the goal is shooting for Week 1."

So there's an answer to that question—Jones's goal and expectation, at least, is to be ready to go by Week 1. Whether that happens, of course, is a different story.

"My goal is to be ready to go for week one..

I'm planning on being out there to start the season"@Daniel_Jones10 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/J5Qqs5NchW

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 11, 2026

Recovering from a torn Achilles, Colts QB Daniel Jones is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, and one source even said he expects him to be ready for training camp. “Absolutely,” he said. pic.twitter.com/l7mAd8LOSP

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2026

Jones also said he talked to fellow Indianapolis athlete Tyrese Haliburton while recovering—the pair have the same surgeon—and reached out to NFL stars Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins to assist with his rehab, as well.

Daniel Jones on his return to Indy

Jones arrived in Indianapolis by way of a tumultuous 2024, which saw him finish the year with the Vikings after a very public breakup with the Giants. In March 2025, he signed a one-year deal with the Colts.

The written-off Duke export then impressed during the preseason, and was ultimately awarded the starting job over 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson Jr. Despite a difficult end to the subsequent campaign, Jones would play some of his best football in 2025 and effectively revive his career in the process. Now, he's got a new deal that keeps him in Indy for the foreseeable future and pays him like a starter, too.

"I'm fired up. Fired up to be back, and definitely grateful for the opportunity to be back and here with the Colts," Jones told McAfee on Wednesday. "It's been crazy. The left leg's good, that's all healed. Working on this Achilles, making good progress with the rehab."

Jones added that the transition tag process was "interesting," but that "I always wanted to be here and had faith it would work out."

Colts QB room: A look at the current depth chart

Ok, let's say DJ's recovery goes south and he's not ready to start in Week 1—who on the Colts' roster could step in in that case?

For now, there is Richardson Sr., who you'll recall was given permission to seek a trade from Indianapolis back in February. We'll see if he finds himself somewhere new or if he'll still be in Indy come the fall.

There is also 2025 draft pick Riley Leonard, who showed some promise in limited appearance last season, as well as rookie fourth-stringer Seth Henigan, who signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Colts in January.

And finally, there is always the possibility that the Colts take a quarterback in the upcoming draft.

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