NFL Facing Punishment Decision on Incident Involving Daniel Jones

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 8, 2025 9:05 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was forced to exit Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 28-year-old suffered a non-contact injury in the first quarter and was unable to return. Jones tried to put some weight on his right leg, but he quickly sat back down on the field. The former No. 6 overall pick was visibly upset, hitting his helmet on the grass multiple times as the medical team attended to him.

It was announced on Monday that Jones has been diagnosed with a season-ending right Achilles injury. The devastating news cut short what was one of the most productive seasons of his career. The former Duke Blue Devils star’s campaign ended prematurely with 261-of-384 completed passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 games played.

An untoward incident transpired during the exact play Jones tore his Achilles. It involved Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor, who is now bracing for an NFL punishment decision.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28).© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jones sustained the injury as he threw a seven-yard pass to wide receiver Alec Pierce. What should have been a completion was nullified due to an infraction committed by Taylor. As a result, Jones’ final pass of the season was ultimately ruled as a no-play.

The yellow flags flew in as Jones fell to the ground. They were not for the Colts quarterback, though. Taylor was assessed with a chop block penalty on the play, resulting in a 15-yard penalty against the Colts. Instead of a seven-yard gain, Indianapolis was forced to take the ball back to its 27-yard line. The clock ultimately ran out in the first half, with the Colts failing to score on the drive.

Taylor will now need to wait for the league’s decision on his incident. According to the NFL rulebook, a chop block is defined as “a high/low double team block by the offense in which one offensive player blocks a defensive player in the area of the thigh or lower while another offensive player engages that same defensive player above the waist.”

The violation falls under Player Safety Rules and/or Flagrant Personal Foul. Chop block is eligible for a $12,172 fine for a first offense and a $17,968 fine for a second. The league will announce its decision in the weekly accountability report, which is published every Saturday.

For context, Taylor has not received a fine throughout his six-year NFL career.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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