Daniel Jones' Injury Recovery is The Crucial Factor For The Colts in 2026

Daniel Jones spent years with the New York Giants but didn’t really thrive until he came to the Indianapolis Colts.

It’s been exciting to watch him bloom with the Colts. Maybe you could call him a later bloomer, right?

But, of course, Jones is coming back from a nasty Achillies injury. How he does when he gets back and how healthy his is will set the stage for whether the Colts are an exciting team for 2026.

The good news is that he’s well on his way to being fully able to take the field in September. He talked to the media about the training that he’s been doing leading up to mandatory minicamp.

More NFL news: Major Shedeur Sanders Development Emerges Amid Browns QB Competition

“It’s just getting back in the flow of practice, and for one, just preparing for practice and going out there competing,” Jones said earlier this month, according to the Colts’ official website. “Then yeah, timing, seeing receivers, seeing the defense, making reads, getting the ball out on time – I think all those things are very valuable.”

So, Jones is feeling solid going into 2026. But, will that make the Colts a fun team to watch? Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today isn’t convinced. In a feature for the outlet, he named the Colts as the No. 19 most exciting team to watch next season. That’s not too high.

More sports news: Browns Quarterback Looks ‘More Poised' Before Training Camp

“If Indianapolis can recapture the thrilling highs of last season’s 8-2 start, it should easily tick higher than this,” he says in the piece. “But that bygone magic seems distant as Daniel Jones tries to work his way back from a torn Achilles, and another mid-tier operation – both in process and results – seems like the most likely outcome for the Colts.”

Why Daniel Jones is a Must-See in 2026

Even if the Colts aren’t as exciting a watch as, oh, the Kansas City Chiefs or Seattle Seahawks going into the new season, I truly think the Jones factor will make this team a fascinating watch. Everyone loves an underdog story.

People like a comeback. Jones spent six largely unsuccessful seasons with the Giants, and he wants to prove that he wasn’t the problem. So far, his early showing with the Colts shows that he wasn’t, and it’s time to see this play out.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 1:31 PM.