Daniel Jones has signed 2 yr 88m contract

[Colts And Orioles]

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Daniel Jones’ Recovery Remains on Track

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/734...dson-deadline/



INDIANAPOLIS — A sheepish smile crept across Daniel Jones’ face. It was as if the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The question that made the veteran break from his usually stoic demeanor was fitting: “Did you ask to play in 11-on-11 ???”

“Yeah, I asked,” Jones responded Tuesday at Colts minicamp, shrugging his shoulders. “But I think, right now, just 7-on-7.”

Jones’ voice trailed off during his answer, as though he’d just been grounded by his parents. But Indy’s swift denial of his request to advance from seven-on-seven drills to full team sessions is understandable. Jones, 29, is just over six months removed from rupturing his right Achilles last December.

The fact that participating in 11-on-11 is even a choice at this point, however, speaks to Jones’ remarkable rehab progress since undergoing surgery. He’s already shown flashes of once again being the player who led the Colts to a surprise 8-2 start last year, ripping TD passes to Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin during mini-camp.

But there are also signs of uncleared hurdles. The most obvious one is how Jones reacts when a play is well-covered by the secondary, like a few were on Wednesday. Instead of scrambling out of the pocket like his fully healthy back-ups, Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson to find an open receiver or run for the first down, Jones has been told to surrender when the play breaks down.

“I think that there’s still work to be done,” Jones conceded. “I wouldn’t say that I’m all the way there at this point. So, yeah, I feel good about where I am, and kind of where the rehab is taking me to this point …... I’m in a good spot.”

Jones went into further detail about a few specific components of his rehab. He added that the Colts have tracked the “velocity and spin rate and distance” on his throws using GPS-chipped footballs to make sure that he’s reaching all of his checkpoints.

“It’s my back leg, my push leg,” Jones said, explaining the importance of his right Achilles. “There’s a strength component. There’s an ankle dorsiflexion component to loading into that front (foot), loading into that hip, loading into that side, but I have felt strong throwing for a while now, and I think that you can measure that with ball velocity and all that. So, I feel like I’ve kind of got to that point probably a month, 2 months ago.”

Colts coach Shane Steichen said that the plan is for Jones to resume 11-on-11 when training camp begins next month. He’ll get his first opportunity to face another team when the Colts head to New England for a joint practice with the Patriots on August 11th.

But even as Jones earns a longer leash during his rehab, Steichen said that the team will still implement guardrails for the player whom Colts star left guard Quenton Nelson referred to as “the hardest worker on the team.” Nelson has blocked for a slew of QBs during his tenure, and is thrilled to have Jones back in the fold for another season.

“He gets here early. He’s here late, and he’s doing things that matter to help him be at his best,” Nelson said. “You just really appreciate that in all facets of the game. He works endlessly to reach his whole potential, and that’s just a guy you can really appreciate, especially at that position. He sets the example for the whole team, because everyone’s looking at him.”


Backup QBs, Plus a Soft Deadline


Leonard and Richardson have continued to split the back-up reps during mini-camp, and Steichen said that that plan will continue into training camp. Neither passer has separated himself this spring, according to their coach.

“They’re both doing some really good things, and it’s back-and-forth right now,” Steichen said. “So, we’ll see where that goes.”

Leonard was intercepted in 7-on-7 Tuesday by rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who returned Leonard’s errant throw for a TD. Richardson, however, hasn’t looked any better, as both QB's have had up-and-down showings.

It’s worth noting that Richardson, the 2023 No. 4 pick, has not rescinded his trade request, even though he rejoined the team for OTA's and mini-camp. He initially asked to be moved in February, but no deal has materialized. If there is a date, however, to keep an eye on, it would be the 3rd day of training camp, when Richardson is due a $4.2 Million roster bonus. If Richardson is still on the Colts’ roster and they pay him that bonus, another team could then trade for him and only have to pay him $1.1 Million in 2026, which is the final year of Richardson’s rookie deal. The Colts recently declined to pick up the 5th-year option on Richardson’s contract.


Looming Contract Decisions


The last time that Jonathan Taylor was entering the final year of his contract, the star running back’s negotiations included a months-long back-and-forth between him and his agent, Malki Kawa, and former Colts owner Jim Irsay. At one point, Taylor and Irsay even sent veiled shots at each other via social media during their stand-off before Irsay finally rewarded Taylor with a 3-year, $42 Million extension in 2023.

Taylor has since held up his end of the bargain, rushing for 3,016 yards and 29 TD's over the last 2 years, en-route to a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Now, he’d like another extension.

“I’d definitely love to be a Colt for life,” Taylor said on Wednesday. “I’ve already expressed that to the front office throughout the years ...… hopefully, they feel the same.”

Taylor registered 323 carries last year, the most of any player in the league ...... but to the 27-year-old’s credit, he’s hardly shown any signs of slowing down. Taylor notched five 100-yard rushing games in 2025 and is averaging 90.5 rushing YPG in his career, the 5th-highest in NFL history. The 4 players ranked higher than Taylor are all Hall-of-Famers (Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and Eric Dickerson, respectively.)

Nelson, who has blocked for Taylor throughout Taylor’s entire NFL career, has put together a Hall-of-Fame resume of his own, with 8 straight Pro Bowl nods to start his career. The 30-year-old is also a 6-time All-Pro. Nelson has a strong argument for an extension, as well, though he said that he plans to let his agent, Evan Pobuta, handle any negotiations.

“Worrying about it or thinking about it isn’t going to help me accomplish any of my goals, so I leave that to them,” Nelson said ...... "I’m all ball.”

Josh Downs and star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who’s gradually rehabbing from neck surgery, are also entering the final years of their contracts. However, keep in mind that Colts GM Chris Ballard is entering the final year of his contract, too, and it stands to reason that principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon may be hesitant to sign-off on any extensions depending on how the season goes. Ballard may not be retained next year, and a new GM would then inherit those contracts.


Dulin’s Case to Start


Dulin has prided himself on being able to do a little bit of everything in the NFL. How else would an undrafted player from Division II Malone University, which no longer has a football program, survive in the NFL for nearly a decade ???

But beneath all of the titles Dulin has held, from All-Pro gunner to field-flipping kick-off returner to defensive back (yes, he really played one defensive snap last season against the Arizona Cardinals), is the desire to secure a real role at the position that he’s listed at on the roster: wide receiver.

The 29-year-old has made a handful of explosive plays in his career, highlighted by a 54-yard TD catch in 2024. But this season, with veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dulin has never had a bigger chance to start. The speedy Alec Pierce, who is currently sidelined due to ankle surgery, and shifty Josh Downs will slide into Indianapolis' top 2 spots, leaving Dulin to compete with veterans Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Laquon Treadwell, as well as rookie 7th-round pick Deion Burks, for the 3rd starting job. Dulin may have the upper-hand, considering the fact that he’s entering his 4th season in Steichen’s offense.

“For me, it’s attacking as if it’s my first year, knowing that, that spot is open, and that there are points to be proven and reps to be won,” Dulin said Tuesday. “That’s my mindset.”

Dulin has already put actions behind those words with a handful of TD catches during team drills, none more impressive than the one that he had in 7-on-7 drills on Wednesday. Jones lofted a pass to the end zone for Dulin while he was being blanketed by 2-time first-team All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. It didn’t matter that Gardner had nearly perfect position in coverage ...... Dulin, at the last second, leaped over Gardner and ripped the ball out of the air for a TD.

The offensive players erupted with excitement after the acrobatic catch, while Dulin simply ran back to the huddle for the next rep.

“Shoot, opportunities show up and rep totals and all that stuff can change every game and every year, but Ashton Dulin is a guy I’ve known to take advantage of his opportunities,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “And like I said, he’s been a real joy to coach. We’re having fun moving him around out there at practice and trying him out with some different stuff, and I think that he can be really good for us this year on offense.”

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