Colts' Daniel Jones Has Promising Return to Team Work in OTAs

The Indianapolis Colts are banking on starting quarterback Daniel Jones to return to form after sustaining a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 14 last season, and so far, so good as we hit the latter stage of OTAs.

It's been debated ad nauseam whether or not Jones will start Week 1 since initial reporting claimed that he'd be healthy by then, but while it's certainly likely that he'll be ready to go by the time September 13 arrives, how healthy he'll be remains the biggest question to be answered.

Jones kicked off OTAs last week as a limited participant amid rehab, but head coach Shane Steichen likes where he's at so far in his return to normalcy.

“Yeah, it’s awesome to see him out here with the guys. He’s working his tail off every day, rehabbing like crazy. I mean, he lives in this building. So, it’s good to see him out here doing individual work with the guys, being around the guys, getting the walk-thru reps. That part has been really good," Steichen said of Daniel Jones's initial participation in OTAs.

But as Steichen mentioned, Jones was only allowed to participate in individual work, meaning walkthroughs and passes on air (against no defense) would be it for him, at least at that point.

Steichen said they'd entertain Jones as a participant in team work, specifically in a 7-on-7 period, if his strong start to OTAs warranted it.

After breaking for the weekend, Jones indeed participated in his first 7-on-7 session since tearing his Achilles late last season, and by all accounts looked good doing so.

Daniel Jones went 5-of-6 during 7-on-7s and had two short touchdown connections with wide receiver Ashton Dulin, according to Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports.

Not only did Jones have a strong performance in this showing, but he looked remarkably comfortable for someone who is just under six months removed (176 days to be exact) from his Achilles injury.

Shane Steichen talked to the local media following OTAs practice on Monday and provided some thoughts on this development in question.

“Yeah, I think it's just making those strides each and every week and to get him out there in seven-on-seven was huge, and to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys," Steichen explained. "So, we'll keep that trend going probably through the end of OTAs, and then obviously get them into team stuff when we get to training camp.”

This is a massive next step in Daniel Jones's return to normalcy, but Steichen and Co. won't be rushing him back anytime soon. They'll continue rehabbing as the schedule permits, pushing a little more each time they feel it's both necessary and warranted.

As a result, even with an increased workload as of late, the Colts are strategically keeping the defense at bay. The leash they'll have on Jones throughout the offseason will be given some slack here and there, but the Colts ultimately want their starting quarterback to avoid any setbacks during his rehab, so being as safe as possible is their MO.

That's why the Colts are fine with Jones participating in 7-on-7 but aren't quite ready to let him dive into full 11-on-11 team work.

Head coach Shane Steichen understands there is a fine line between pushing your starting quarterback too hard and not enough, and that's how they'll continue operating throughout the rest of OTAs.

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, he's been throwing routes with the guys and we just told him, ‘Don't scramble in seven-on-seven. Be smart in these situations," Steichen explained the thought process behind Jones's initial return to team work.

"If it's not there, throw it out of bounds or if you want to drop it on the ground, I'm good with that too.’ But yeah, he looked good out there today throwing with the guys."

The Colts want to be smart with Jones's rehab, and that's precisely why they're letting him do some team work, but not all. 7-on-7 is much less intense than its 11-on-11 counterpart due to there being no pass rush to speed up one's operation, so it checks out why the Colts would allow him to participate in one session and not the other.

"We always want to be smart. I mean, it's spring. We don't play for a while. So, we’ve got to be smart with his injury, but he's making great progress," said Steichen.

Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard, and Co. all know that their collective future in Indianapolis depends on a healthy, productive Daniel Jones in 2026, so ensuring that he's set up for success from Week 1 on remains the top priority moving forward.

Good news for both Jones and the Colts is that the veteran quarterback appears to be on schedule, with recent developments suggesting that he may just be slightly ahead of schedule after all. We'll continue closely monitoring the situation in question as OTAs are set to wrap up on June 4th before mandatory minicamp begins on June 9-11.

Sign Up For the Colts Daily Digest - OnSI’s Indianapolis Colts Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google