Colts QB Daniel Jones told reporters that he's been "cleared to do everything." He's spent the offseason working back from his December 7 Achilles tear. Jones has had a smooth recovery by all accounts and participated in 7-on-7 drills in June minicamp.
Jones: "I'm feeling good. ... I've made a good bit of progress since minicamp. ... I’m doing everything. Cleared to do everything. I think it’s just about, at this point, sharpening that and getting more explosive, getting stronger."
On whether he still thinks about his Achilles: "You’re still thinking about it. I think (you) probably will until you get playing."
Jones looks on track for Week 1, barring a setback. The bigger question is how effective he'll be coming off a serious injury.
Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins are the two most recent prominent QBs to tear their Achilles. Both were ready the following season but saw notable decreases in passing efficiency. Rodgers averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt; Cousins averaged 7.7 but tossed 16 INTs in 14 games before getting benched for Michael Penix.
29-year-old Jones benefits from being much younger than Rodgers (41) or Cousins (36) were in their return seasons. But Jones has also been more reliant on his mobility than those versions of Rodgers and Cousins.
Jones is still a risky 2026 fantasy pick, although that risk is largely baked into his QB25 ADP. He's a fine pick in best-ball and superflex drafts at that price.
We've projected Jones as the Week 1 starter for a while, so he stays at QB23 in the rankings.
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