Daniel Jones’ tremendous 2025 campaign came to an unfortunate ending on Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts quarterback suffered a torn Achilles.
On Thursday, Jones posted a message on his Instagram thanking his teammates, coaches and fans.
“Thank you to my teammates, coaches, the Colts organization, and all the fans for the overwhelming support,” he wrote. “Tough way to end this season but it has been an honor to wear the horseshoe and play for Colts fans. I’ll miss lining up with my guys, but I’ll be riding with them every step of the way. Go Colts!”
Jones has been on a bit of a rollercoaster over the past two seasons. The former No. 6 overall pick parted ways with the New York Giants halfway through the 2024 campaign and ended the year as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
He signed with the Colts in March and then competed with Anthony Richardson for the QB1 role during training camp. Jones earned the starting role and quickly proved that he was the man for the job.
In 13 games, Jones threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns and was on pace for a career high in both of those categories. He had the Colts looking like playoff contenders for most of the season, though three consecutive losses have dimmed their postseason hopes quite a bit.
While Jones’ season ended prematurely, it should still be considered a successful one for the seventh-year player, as he proved he still belongs in the NFL as a starting quarterback.
Now, the question becomes where Jones will end up this offseason. He spent the 2025 season on a one-year, $14.5 million contract and will hit free agency at the end of the season.
Before the injury, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Jones has a chance to become the biggest earner in the free agency class, and the Colts “appear all-in on keeping” him around.
The MMQB’s Albert Breer reported after Jones’ injury that the team could franchise tag him “to see how the rehab goes,” but a franchise tag this offseason is projected to be “around $46 million.”
Jones’ injury might have hurt his chances of landing a massive payday this offseason, but plenty of teams will likely still be interested in him if he hits the market.