12/07/25 05:17:00
Printable Page
12/07 17:16 CST Colts QB Daniel Jones could be out for the season with a right
Achilles tendon injury
Colts QB Daniel Jones could be out for the season with a right Achilles tendon
injury
By MARK LONG
AP Pro Football Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) --- Daniel Jones slammed his helmet to the ground
several times before eventually limping to the sideline.
He was reacting to his latest injury, which might be season-ending. His body
language was indicative of how the Indianapolis Colts must feel with the AFC
South --- and their once-promising season --- slipping away.
Already playing with a broken bone in his left leg, Jones injured his right
Achilles tendon in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.
"Could be season-ending. I don't have the full details on it, but we'll get
more clarity on that," coach Shane Steichen said. "Not for sure, but it's not
looking good."
Jones dropped to the ground after throwing incomplete and immediately grabbed
the back of his right leg. He eventually got up and made his way to the
sideline and then the locker room for tests. He returned to the sideline in the
second half wearing a walking boot.
Riley Leonard replaced him, but the Colts (8-5) were essentially done for the
day.
They might be done for the season. With Jones injured and four winning teams
--- Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville and Houston --- left on the schedule,
no one should be surprised if Indy doesn't win again.
Cornerback Kenny Moore called this loss --- the team's third in a row and
fourth in five games --- a dagger.
Jones' injury surely had a lot to do with it. Jones' resurgence was a big
reason the Colts started the season 7-1. He signed a one-year contract in free
agency and beat out Anthony Richardson in training camp.
But with potentially a nine-month rehab in front of him, the Colts could be
looking for a new starter in March.
"Anytime you lose a guy that puts in so much work and so much effort, and is
always there for his team, and showing up with a fibula injury and goes out
there and freaking plays, just so much respect for him," Steichen said. "Just
so much respect."
With Richardson on injured reserve with a broken orbital bone, Leonard is the
only other quarterback on Indy's roster. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad.
Jones played several games though a broken left leg. He said he couldn't
pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred or when he first noticed something
didn't seem right. He maintained the past two weeks he felt healthy enough to
play.
His performance, however, told a different story. As defenses put increasingly
more pressure on Jones, he has looked less mobile and has been less accurate
than in Indy's first eight games.
He completed 5 of 7 passes for 60 yards, with an interception against
Jacksonville. Leonard completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards, with a touchdown
run and an interception.
"I was actually impressed with what he did in the situation," Steichen said. "I
thought he went in and competed his tail off."
Leonard credited Jones with getting him ready to play and praised him for
playing through the broken leg.
"Daniel's the toughest guy that I've ever been around, by far in my life,"
Leonard said. "He's the most competitive person that I've ever met. So it's no
surprise that he came back out there to cheer us on. I remember going over the
sideline, and he was just first one to put the raincoat on me, the first one to
ask me what I see on that play and help me out and what to expect on certain
situations.
"It's just exactly who he is, whether he's playing or not. He's very
consistent, man. So I really respect that about him."
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
|
