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John Keim
INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said he remains hopeful that the team can get deals done with receiver Alec Pierce and quarterback Daniel Jones before free agency begins.
«It’s been very positive,» Ballard said. «When both sides are driven to get it done, it usually works out in the right way.
he’s also coming off a torn Achilles that cost him the final four games of the season. He also tore an ACL in 2023 while playing for the New York Giants.
«The way he prepares how he’s built, I think in the long run, Daniel’s going to be perfectly fine,» Ballard said.
Ballard did not want to put a timeline as far as when Jones might be ready to return. But Steichen said: «He’s attacking his rehab the right way and so I feel confident he’ll be ready to go for training camp.»
Meanwhile, Ballard said quarterback Anthony Richardson, the fourth pick in the 2023 draft, has been «cleared to play,» putting him on track to be ready for the start of the offseason program in April. He suffered an orbital fracture in a freak pre-game accident before a Week 6 game vs. Arizona.
«He’s getting better,» Ballard said.
Richrdson’s future with the Colts remains uncertain after playing just 14 snaps in 2025 and with Jones possibly returning as the starter. But Ballard said he remains high on Richardson.
«You never know what’s going to happen and things change, but yeah, we like Anthony,» Ballard said. «I’m not going to say he needs a complete fresh start. Anthony’s still young. He’s still developing, so we’ll see what the feature holds, but I mean I still believe in [his future].»
