After all, Daniel Jones is set to be an unrestricted free agent. Before this injury, he was earmarked for a massive extension that would've tied him to the organization for years to come. Now, it doesn't appear like such a deal will be reached. One of the more logical roads the Colts could go down is utilizing the franchise tag on Jones, ensuring he's under contract through next season. While that locks Jones up for 2026, he might not be ready to go at the jump.
An Achilles tear is roughly a nine-month recovery. If all goes according to plan, that would be a rough return date somewhere in early September. That's precisely around the time the 2026 regular season kicks off, so it's a razor-thin margin to even begin thinking about Jones playing at the start of the year. As we've seen in the past, Achilles injuries are an uphill climb, and players are not exactly the same as they were pre-injury right out of the gate, so the Colts will need to have contingency plans at quarterback.
Related players: Anthony Richardson, Riley Leonard
Fantasy Impact:
The Colts traded their next two first round picks for Sauce Gardner, a sign they were ready to commit to Jones as their long term option, the story pointed out. The story said the team could go with Richardson or Leonard until Jones is ready to play in 2026, and also assuming they resign him or tag him. The Colts QB situation will be one to watch heading into next season, and maybe even sooner for those in dynasty leagues.
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