When Daniel Jones went down in Jacksonville against the Jaguars, it meant two things: the losing streak was about to continue, and it didn’t look good. Non-contact injuries are the worst possible types of injuries in sports. No one is around, yet the player falls in a heap on the ground. Indianapolis Colts fans’ worst fears were realized as Jones suffered a torn Achilles, and the season was over for him and ultimately the team. Fast forward to training camp in Westfield and his devastating injury
could have been just a dream.
JJ Stankevitz of Colts.com captured a Jones that was running without issue, even punching in a touchdown on the ground. Does that sound like a player who isn’t ready to go? Mo Alie-Cox and Quentin Nelson were certainly impressed.
“He looks like he never got hurt,” Alie-Cox said. “He’s throwing dimes left and right on the field, getting out the pocket, scrambling and different things like that.”
“He’s been incredible. He’s back like he’s never left,” left guard Quenton Nelson said. “He worked so hard to get here. It’s been awesome to see.”
Training camp is a time of myth, legend, and sometimes fairy tales. The best and the brightest in camp don’t always pan out. While that may be true, hearing that Jones is getting up to speed so quickly is incredibly encouraging and bodes well going into this season. The alternative was dark. Faults and all, Jones is the best quarterback on this team, and any hopes and dreams begin and end with him. Watching the rust fade away, his leg appearing to be fully healed, and having a full training camp to connect with his teammates is huge.
Eight months is all it took for Daniel Jones to rejoin the Colts. Other quarterbacks have suffered similar injuries, but Jones relies on his mobility. Having that part of his game return so quickly is highly fortunate and puts the season back on the right track. A healthy Jones doesn’t solve everything, but an unhealthy Jones dissolves everything. The Colts need him to be healthy. For now, that certainly appears to be the case.
