Indianapolis basic supervisor Chris Ballard believes the Colts have what they want at quarterback, starting with Daniel Jones.
The quarterback room went by way of a number of transitions as former starter Anthony Richardson yielded the spot in preseason to free-agent signee Jones, who like Richardson later sustained a season-ending damage. Indianapolis resorted to bringing Philip Rivers, 44, out of retirement earlier than the workforce performed its approach out of playoff competition and began rookie Riley Leonard within the season finale.
Jones, 28, is recovering from a torn proper Achilles tendon in December, and he turns into an unrestricted free agent in March.
“I am (Jones) each close to and lengthy (time period),” Ballard mentioned Thursday at his season-ending information convention.
“Once you’re chasing the quarterback on a regular basis, it makes it very exhausting,” Ballard mentioned. “Your margin for error actually shrinks down. And I really feel superb about Daniel Jones and the place he is at, the place he is going. Sure, he is received the Achilles. However I feel Daniel Jones has received a extremely brilliant future right here in Indianapolis.”
Ballard acknowledged the damage will influence contract negotiations however does not see it as a deal breaker.
“I am not a physician, and I am not God when it comes to realizing what the longer term’s gonna maintain in his therapeutic,” Ballard mentioned. “… The historical past of fellows coming again has been fairly good and so they’ve been older than Daniel.
“Daniel is 28 years outdated, and he is a reasonably freaky expertise when it comes to athletic capability. So no, I do really feel assured that he’ll make it again. Will he be the model you noticed straight away? Perhaps not, however he is nonetheless going to be actually good.”
Jones was actually good in his first season with the Colts after inconsistent play and a number of accidents (neck, ACL) with the New York Giants (2019-24).
Jones handed for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, main Indianapolis to an 8-2 begin. He performed by way of a fractured left fibula and went 8-5 because the starter earlier than his season ended with the Achilles damage on Dec. 7 in a loss in Jacksonville.
The Colts completed the season with a seven-game shedding skid.
“It wasn’t all unfavourable. The 8-2 (document) is actual. That was not a mirage. It wasn’t,” Ballard mentioned. “We had been buzzing, and we had been enjoying good soccer.”
The Giants chosen Jones with the sixth general decide of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Duke.
For his profession, Jones has accomplished 64.7% of his passes for 17,683 yards, 89 touchdowns and 55 interceptions in 83 regular-season video games (82 begins) for the Giants and Colts. He has a 32-49-1 document as a starter. Jones additionally has rushed 444 instances for two,343 yards and 20 TDs.
“I feel (a return is) mutual on either side,” Ballard mentioned. “I feel Daniel was a extremely good match for this group, and I feel this group and metropolis had been a extremely good match for Daniel.”
Richardson had been labeled the franchise quarterback when Indianapolis drafted him fourth general in 2023 out of Florida.
Richardson is 8-7 as a starter in elements of three seasons, finishing 50.6% of his passes for two,400 yards, 11 TDs and 13 picks in 17 video games (15 begins). He additionally has rushed for 634 yards and 10 TDs on 115 carries.
After shedding the beginning job to Jones, Richardson went on injured reserve following an accident throughout pregame warmups in Week 6 that left him with an orbital bone damage.
“I used to be actually pleased with Anthony,” Ballard mentioned. “I feel you knew that even after we named Daniel Jones the starter. Sadly for Anthony, he is had some actually dangerous luck. … Anthony was making actually good strides.”
The Colts picked Leonard within the sixth spherical of the 2025 draft out of Notre Dame.
Leonard, 23, appeared in 5 video games — beginning the regular-season finale, a 38-30 loss at Houston — and accomplished 39 of 67 passes for 415 yards, two TDs and three picks.
–Area Stage Media
