The “Achilles heel” of Indiana sports is the Achilles heel…literally. Tyrese Haliburton was the first victim claimed in the biggest moment of the Pacers’ existence. While the timing wasn’t as dramatic, Daniel Jones fell the same way. The good news for both is they are back on the mend and hope to be full strength by next season. The question for the Indianapolis Colts is whether Jones will be ready for Week 1. That is currently opening the door for an interesting offseason.
Jones participated in OTA
throwing drills and has the internet buzzing. Yes, it is non-contact but it is a start. It’s anticipated that he will be ready to go Week 1 as the Colts face the Ravens from Lucas Oil. Take a page from the Boston Celtics, however, and be wary. Jayson Tatum might have come back a tad too early, and his knee soreness caused the Celtics to lose in the first round of the NBA playoffs as he was forced to watch from the sidelines. Pushing Jones to be ready by Week 1 could set the Colts up for bigger pain later on.
A golden opportunity for Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson lies ahead. Leonard impressed in Week 18, but several Houston starters weren’t out there. Was that performance fool’s gold or an example of what the Colts have in the young quarterback? Getting him first team reps in training camp could go a long way towards sorting fact from fiction.
Richardson’s story is more well known but this golden opportunity is also a second chance. Maybe he doesn’t stay with the Colts, but whatever he can show on the field, in whatever amount of time he has, could revitalize his career. This is his chance to get it off life support. If he can show his maturity and improved skills, the challenge to overtake Leonard to potentially start Week 1 isn’t insurmountable.
There is a lot of time between now and the kickoff of the 2026 season, so anything is possible. Daniel Jones throwing and moving is a good sign, but it doesn’t tell us much about how game ready he will be in three months. Any delays in getting him up to speed open a huge door for both Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson. This could be a quarterback race to the finish we have never seen in Indianapolis. Then again, we could see Jones be ready, Leonard moved to the bench, and Richardson cut, leaving much to do about nothing.
