Colts' Shane Steichen Gets Candid on Daniel Jones' Progress

Steichen has been watching Jones rehab all offseason and has been happy with his quarterback's progress. But seeing Jones begin to face actual defenders is a major milestone that the head coach wanted to see.

"I think it's just making those strides each and every week and to get (Jones) out there in 7-on-7 was huge, and to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys," Steichen elaborated. "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.”

While Jones looked good throwing the football on Monday, the coaching staff did not allow him to move much in the pocket. With no live rushers in 7-on-7 work, Steichen instructed Jones not to simulate pressure or scramble if there wasn't an open man. There is no reason to chance a setback during the first week of June.

"He's been throwing routes with the guys and we just told him, ‘Don't scramble in 7-on-7. 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 too,’" Steichen said. "But yeah, he looked good out there today throwing with the guys.”

Jones was on track to have a career year in his first season with Steichen. In 13 games, Jones was 261-of-384 (68%) for 3,101 yards, with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. If Jones had stayed healthy, the Colts' quarterback would have been on pace to set career highs in completion percentage, yards, and touchdowns while leading one of the top scoring offenses in the NFL.

The connection Jones has with Steichen and Steichen's belief that the 2025 production from his quarterback can be the norm is a major reason why the Colts were willing to give Jones a two-year, $88 million contract extension in March despite the Achilles injury. The Colts believe Jones can be their quarterback of now and the future.

However, in order to be the quarterback Indy is confident he can be, Jones must make a full recovery. The Colts will continue to bring Jones along slowly, meaning no 11-on-11 work until training camp begins in July. But the fact that Jones is already participating in some team sessions is a great sign.

"We always want to be smart," Steichen reiterated. "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.”

With the progress Jones has made already, it's becoming more and more likely that Steichen will have his QB1 back and ready to go when the Baltimore Ravens come to town in Week 1.