INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts initially thought it might be a long shot to get Daniel Jones into 7-on-7 work before the start of training camp.
There is no pass rush to avoid, obviously, but quarterbacks often roll out of the pocket in 7-on-7, “buying time” if the initial route or read is covered. Jones is still only six months removed from the torn Achilles tendon that effectively ended the Colts’ playoff hopes in 2025, and the temptation to roll out was always going to be there.
But then Jones started throwing to receivers at organized team activities, and he’s been seen running sprints and doing agility work with trainers after practices.
Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen decided it was time to let Jones progress to the next step. When the Colts opened their 7-on-7 session at the team’s organized team activity on Monday, Jones was the quarterback leading the starters.
“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 said. “But yeah, he looked good out there today throwing with the guys.”
Jones didn’t have to dump the ball on the ground Monday.
For the most part, he has looked very good as a thrower in the OTAs open to the media, although it is clear that his dropback is still a little bit stiff compared to his usual athleticism.
“I think it’s just making those strides, each and every week, and to get him out there in 7-on-7 was huge,” Steichen said. “To get him in the fold, running plays with the guys.”
A return to 11-on-11, full-team work is the final step, a step that Jones will not take before the Colts break for the summer. Steichen does not plan to ask his quarterback to play in a setting where a pass rusher or offensive linemen could fall on Jones.
“We always want to be smart,” Steichen said. “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.”
Jones made it clear last week that his expectation is to be the team’s starting quarterback when Indianapolis opens the 2026 season at home against the Ravens.
“There’s definitely still work to be done and progress to be made,” Jones said last week. “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. I think we’ve hit all of our marks so far, and we’ll continue to do that.”
By playing in 7-on-7, Jones is a little bit ahead of the marks the Colts set for him initially.
The next step is to return to the huddle for real football, a step he won’t take until the Colts report to Grand Park in late July.
But it is still remarkable that a return at the start of training camp now seems like a foregone conclusion.
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 takes big step in Achilles return by playing 7-on-7
Reporting by Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
