Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Colts' luck worsens with Daniel Jones injury

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 3:53 PM ET

Quarterback Daniel Jones' comeback season with the Indianapolis Colts may be quickly fizzling.

Entering Indianapolis' road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the team had lost three of its past four games and squandered its lead in the AFC South. Things kept going from bad to worse for the Colts when Jones suffered a non-contact Achilles injury late in the first quarter.

Jones grabbed his right leg after throwing a pass and falling. While receiving medical attention, he slammed his helmet on the ground. The QB then walked back to the locker room with the team's training staff and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

How Daniel Jones injury news impacts Colts

The severity of the injury hasn't been determined yet, but an Achilles issue is significant. A tear, of course, would be season-ending.

Here’s the play on which Daniel Jones was hurt: pic.twitter.com/RLJkYCAn4b
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2025

Daniel Jones is out for the remainder of the game due to an Achilles injury, the Colts announced.

( CBS) pic.twitter.com/UYMLQrboeM
— ESPN (@espn) December 7, 2025

Even more concerning for the Colts is that Jones was already playing with a fracture in his left fibula. In Indianapolis' past two games, the former Duke star wore a 3D-printed pad — a product of a company founded by two of his college teammates — to protect his leg.

With Jones battling multiple issues, it wouldn't be surprising if he misses some time. That would be costly for the Colts amid their playoff push.

Jones — a former New York Giants bust — has placed himself into the Comeback Player of the Year conversation in 2025. Through 13 weeks, the sixth pick of the 2019 NFL Draft ranked sixth in the league in passing yards (3,041) and was tied for seventh in touchdown passes (19).

The Colts don't have another QB who's a proven starter. Entering Sunday's game, rookie QB Riley Leonard — a sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame — was 0-of-2 passing.

QB Anthony Richardson Sr. — the fourth pick of the 2023 draft — is on injured reserve because of an orbital fracture suffered in a pregame accident in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. Colts head coach Shane Steichen has indicated the passer isn't close to returning.

Jones' injury couldn't come at a worse time for the Colts. The team has been losing momentum at the season's most critical point, and the QB's injuries have compounded its growing problems.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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