New information on Daniel Jones’ injury confirms people’s fears and it has the potential to sink the Colts season
Daniel Jones is fighting through a significant injury as the Colts are in a tight race for the top spot in the AFC South.
Many have assumed that Daniel Jones’ injury was more serious than the Indianapolis Colts have let on. Now that the actual injury has been reported, it seems apparent that those feelings were correct after all.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported yesterday that Jones is dealing with a fracture in his fibula. Jones played through it last week against the Kansas City Chiefs and is expected to do the same against the Houston Texans this week.
Daniel Jones is playing through a fractured fibula
Every game feels crucial for the Colts down the stretch, with very little room for error in the AFC South and the AFC playoff race. So if this injury hinders Jones or forces him to miss time eventually this season, it could truly sink what has been a fantastic season so far for Indianapolis.
Jones hasn’t had to miss a single snap this year due to injury. He’s only come off the field on offense in blowout wins where the team has allowed Anthony Richardson to finish the game. The team doesn’t have the luxury of turning to their backup, though. Richardson is on the IR with an orbital fracture in his eye. He is eligible to return whenever doctors clear him, but the team isn’t acting as if he will return anytime soon.
It hasn’t been a perfect year by any means, but Jones has surpassed just about everyone’s expectations for him this season. He’s thrown for 2,840 yards and has 17 passing touchdowns and five rushing. He’s fourth in the NFL in yards per game among QBs who have started at least three games.
Jonathan Taylor has been fantastic this season, and if Jones is ever forced to miss time, I’m sure the Colts would lean heavily on the run game. The problem, though, is that we saw in the Colts’ loss to the Chiefs that teams are going to stack the box at a huge rate in an attempt to force someone other than Taylor to beat them. Jones and the passing offense failed to deliver in Week 12, and sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard isn’t someone I would bet on quite yet to win games at the NFL level.
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