Colts' Daniel Jones keeps inching toward bold injury-return goal

It was learned recently that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was throwing during the Colts' offseason team activities coming off the torn Achilles he suffered on Dec. 7, 2025. 

As shared by The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Colts head coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Monday that Jones has been cleared to participate in 7-on-7 drills.

Colts plan to be smart with Daniel Jones throughout the summer

"To get him out there in 7-on-7 was huge, to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys," Steichen said about Jones. "We'll keep that trend going, probably through the end of OTAs and then, obviously, get him into team stuff at training camp. 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."

Jones made it known in March that he is aiming to return to the lineup for Indianapolis' regular-season opener versus the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13. For now, 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson Sr. and 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard are sharing QB1 duties while Jones continues to recover. It's no secret Richardson wants to be traded, but he may find himself on track to start versus Baltimore if Jones isn't cleared to play following the Labor Day holiday. 

Daniel Jones already looks "good" in springtime workouts

The Colts made their feelings about Jones clear when they signed him to a two-year, $88M contract that could be worth up to $100M this offseason. He went 8-2 across his first 10 starts of the 2025 campaign, his first with the Colts, before he was slowed by a reported fracture in his fibula in Week 12.

"He's been throwing routes with the guys, and we're telling him, 'Don't scramble, it's seven-on-seven, be smart in these situations, 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,'" Steichen added about Jones. "But, yeah, he looked good out there today."

Steichen and Co. will now hope that Jones continues to look good and get stronger as he attempts to receive the clearance he'll need to face the Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium.