INDIANAPOLIS — Daniel Jones participated in 7-on-7 drills during the Indianapolis Colts' organized team activity on June 1, 2026, as part of his recovery from a torn right Achilles tendon suffered in early December 2025 during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has also been throwing to receivers during the Colts’ organized team activities, which began in April 2026.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said, “He's been throwing routes with the guys, and we just told him, ‘Don't scramble in 7-on-7s. 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 added, “But yeah, he looked good out there today throwing with the guys.”
Jones has been seen running sprints and doing agility work with trainers after practices during the 2026 offseason. He will not participate in 11-on-11 full-team work before the Colts break for the summer. Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard are sharing snaps with the Colts’ starting offense in his absence.
Steichen said, “I think it's just making those strides, each and every week, and to get him out there in 7-on-7 was huge.” He also noted, “To get him in the fold, running plays with the guys.” He emphasized, “We always want to be smart. 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.” The Colts believe Jones is on schedule, and possibly slightly ahead of schedule, in his recovery from Achilles surgery.
Although Jones did not speak with reporters on June 1, 2026, he had previously shared his perspective on his rehab process. “There’s definitely still work to be done and progress to be made.” He said, “I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to run faster, cut harder and progress kind of according to the program, but it’s been good.” He added, “I think we’ve hit all of our marks so far, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Jones also described feeling more integrated into team operations: “You just feel more a part of it, I think, prepping for practice and the meetings, being a part of the walkthroughs, kind of going through the plays, being back there with the quarterbacks talking through things.” He said, “It just feels more like you’re back in the swing of things and back a part of it. So, it’s been good in recent team activities to be back.” Jones expects to be the Colts’ starting quarterback for the 2026 season opener against the Baltimore Ravens.