Daniel Jones is eyeing a Week 1 return – a remarkable turnaround time of just more than nine months since the Colts’ starting quarterback torn his right Achilles tendon Dec. 7 in Jacksonville.
“It’s all part of the process. We’re just going through it. My goal is to be back by Week 1 and be ready to go. That’s what we’re working towards and what we should be able to accomplish,” Jones said Wednesday on the Pat McAfee Show shortly after news broke of Jones and the Colts agreeing to terms on a two-year deal worth $88 million that handed him $50 million at signing and $60 million guaranteed as he rehabs the second debilitating injury of his seven-year NFL career.
“It’s all a process, and we’ll keep checking the boxes. I’ve been working with the guys with the Colts, and I feel good about that. I’m planning on being back, and the goal is shooting for Week 1.”
Jones told reporters at locker clean-out day Jan. 5 that he was “expecting to be ready to go by training camp;” less than eight months removed from his Achilles tendon tear.
At the NFL Combine two weeks ago, Colts general manager Chris Ballard shied away from noting any specifics in terms of Jones’ recovery process or timeline but was willing to say, “He’s on track.”
“With the Achilles, it’s the three-month mark where you’re kind of past the danger zone,” Ballard said. “Y’all have been around Daniel enough to know he’s pretty diligent in everything he does. You almost have to bring him back a little bit, but we feel good about where he’s at and where he’s going.
“I just think the way he prepares, how he’s built, in the long run, he’s going to be perfectly fine.”
Jones said Wednesday his left leg, which suffered a fractured fibula sometime around or just after the Colts’ bye week in mid-November, is “good, all healed,” noting it’s just his right Achilles he’s left to focus on. “We’ve been making good progress with the rehab,” Jones said, “and it’s all good. I’m fired up.”
Along with veteran NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins – both whom Jones said he’s spoken with for counsel throughout his recovery process after both tore their Achilles tendons in the last couple years and managed to return to the field – Jones has two interesting benchmarks to follow in the NBA who suffered the same injury. Dr. Martin O’Malley performed the surgery for all three of the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton and Jones over the last 10 months.
Just last week, Tatum returned to the court for a regular season game, marking six days short of a 10-month recovery period. Jones’ goal of a Week 1 start Sept. 13 (or thereabouts) would mean a comeback just a few days longer than nine months.
“You just try to gain as much info and experience as you can to help yourself through this process,” Jones said. “We’ve got great trainers and great (physical therapy) guys with the Colts, so (I’ve) just been working with them, listening to my surgeon and all that and trying to come up with the best process.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts QB Daniel Jones says he’ll be back from Achilles tear Week 1, 9 months after injury
Reporting by Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
