Colts QB Daniel Jones could be out for the season with a right Achilles tendon injury

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Jones slammed his helmet to the ground several times before eventually limping to the sideline.

He was reacting to his latest injury, which might be season-ending. His body language was indicative of how the Indianapolis Colts must feel with the AFC South — and their once-promising season — slipping away.

Already playing with a broken bone in his left leg, Jones injured his right Achilles tendon in a 36-19 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.

“Could be season-ending. I don’t have the full details on it, but we’ll get more clarity on that,” coach Shane Steichen said. “Not for sure, but it’s not looking good.”

Jones dropped to the ground after throwing incomplete and immediately grabbed the back of his right leg. He eventually got up and made his way to the sideline and then the locker room for tests. He returned to the sideline in the second half wearing a walking boot.

Riley Leonard replaced him, but the Colts (8-5) were essentially done for the day.

They might be done for the season. With Jones injured and four winning teams — Seattle, San Francisco, Jacksonville and Houston — left on the schedule, no one should be surprised if Indy doesn’t win again.

Cornerback Kenny Moore called this loss — the team’s third in a row and fourth in five games — a dagger.

Jones’ injury surely had a lot to do with it. Jones’ resurgence was a big reason the Colts started the season 7-1. He signed a one-year contract in free agency and beat out Anthony Richardson in training camp.

But with potentially a nine-month rehab in front of him, the Colts could be looking for a new starter in March.

“Anytime you lose a guy that puts in so much work and so much effort, and is always there for his team, and showing up with a fibula injury and goes out there and freaking plays, just so much respect for him,” Steichen said. “Just so much respect.”

With Richardson on injured reserve with a broken orbital bone, Leonard is the only other quarterback on Indy’s roster. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad.

Jones played several games though a broken left leg. He said he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the injury occurred or when he first noticed something didn’t seem right. He maintained the past two weeks he felt healthy enough to play.

His performance, however, told a different story. As defenses put increasingly more pressure on Jones, he has looked less mobile and has been less accurate than in Indy’s first eight games.

He completed 5 of 7 passes for 60 yards, with an interception against Jacksonville. Leonard completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards, with a touchdown run and an interception.

“I was actually impressed with what he did in the situation,” Steichen said. “I thought he went in and competed his tail off.”

Leonard credited Jones with getting him ready to play and praised him for playing through the broken leg.

“Daniel’s the toughest guy that I’ve ever been around, by far in my life,” Leonard said. “He’s the most competitive person that I’ve ever met. So it’s no surprise that he came back out there to cheer us on. I remember going over the sideline, and he was just first one to put the raincoat on me, the first one to ask me what I see on that play and help me out and what to expect on certain situations.

“It’s just exactly who he is, whether he’s playing or not. He’s very consistent, man. So I really respect that about him.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl