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Stephen Holder
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Daniel Jones limped off the field and into the tunnel leading to the locker room of dejected Indianapolis Colts. He was rain-soaked, disheveled and had just sustained a right torn Achilles a couple hours prior. The expression he wore after Sunday’s 36-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was the perfect illustration of his team’s bleak predicament.
The Colts (8-5), already in the midst of a precipitous slide after starting the season with the NFL’s best record at 7-1, now face a long list of complicated questions in the wake of Jones’ serious injury. A torn Achilles, which is what a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Jones suffered, can take as long as a year to fully recover from, raising thorny issues related to the future of the position in Indianapolis. And given the unraveling of the Colts’ season, what might a disappointing finish mean for the team’s leadership, its veteran players and everyone involved?
With Jones headed for season-ending surgery and months of rehab, here are the critical questions brought about by Jones’ devastating injury.
What happens in the immediate term?
For now, rookie backup Riley Leonard takes the reins, and that puts the Colts in a tough spot. Leonard was drafted in the sixth round out of Notre Dame with the team viewing him as a developmental quarterback. He was the third-string option until a scary pregame accident involving quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., who sustained an orbital fracture to his face after a mishap involving stretching bands in October. Richardson remains on injured reserve.
Seattle Seahawks. In the immediate aftermath of the game, Leonard was already getting significant support from his teammates.
«Having guys like [All-pro guard] Quenton Nelson come up to me and say he believes in me,» Leonard said, «Everybody on the sideline was so supportive. That’s always good for a rookie quarterback.»
What’s next at quarterback for Indy?
The Colts had been having internal discussions about a contract extension for Jones long before they became the hottest offense in the NFL. Through eight games, the Colts were averaging six more points than any other team and were producing 6.5 yards per play, on pace for one of the highest marks in franchise history.
Jones was the key to unlocking all of it, with his efficiency, accurate passing and execution of coach Shane Steichen’s smart schemes. Jones seemed like an answer to the Colts’ yearslong uncertainty at quarterback. But now, everything about his future is in question.
Alec Pierce said. «That’s our team captain right there. Everything runs through him. That was brutal.»
Worth noting is that Richardson remains under contract for 2026. His future has been in question since he lost a preseason position battle with Jones. But Sunday’s developments could change things for him. Richardson showed improvement through training camp and is still just 23 years old.
What if the season unravels?
In many ways, it is already unraveling. The Colts started Sunday in a tie for first place in the AFC South, but Jacksonville (9-4) now sits alone atop the division. The Colts dropped to the periphery of the wild-card standings after the loss.
So, after a remarkable start that had Indianapolis with the best record in the NFL, how will a collapse down the stretch reflect on the men in charge of the team?
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The futures of general manager Chris Ballard and Steichen were in question after last season’s 8-9 finish. But the late owner Jim Irsay, who passed away in May, agreed to give the pair one more shot in 2025.
Losing a starting quarterback in Week 14 with the playoffs still within reach certainly complicates the evaluation process. But things were already slipping away even before Jones’ injury. Nothing that’s happened in recent weeks reflects well on the team’s brass, and it will be a difficult assessment if the Colts can’t finish strong in its remaining games against the Seahawks, Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. The combined record of those teams is 39-14.
What is the impact of ownership changes?
The subplot to all of this is that all the difficult decisions ahead of the Colts will be made by different decision-makers.
Irsay’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, and her sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, are now primary owners. How they will process what’s happened isn’t certain. Jim Irsay was often prone to emotional and abrupt decisions, but his daughters are seen as much more pragmatic.
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However they choose to proceed, the Colts are not in an optimum situation. Jones’ injury is compounded by the absence of their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, which the team recently traded to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner in an effort to make a deep playoff run this season.
The Colts also will have to navigate the futures of core players. Pierce and defensive end Kwity Paye are entering free agency, receiver Michael Pittman Jr.’s salary-cap figure jumps to $29 million and running back Jonathan Taylor is due an extension (2026 is the final season of his contract).
A single injury has led to a multitude of questions for which there are no immediate answers.
