Daniel Jones was on track for a much different free agency setup.
The quarterback was on a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts, setting up for a massive deal at the end of the season.
And then he tore his Achilles.
That changed everything, and it has messed with the whole outlook of Jones' free agent plans.
It's not certain he'll be ready at the start of the 2026 season. And for anyone that isn't the Colts, it's hard to know how the healing process is going because he's not in their building.
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Despite that, The Ringer's Austin Gayle has ranked Jones as his No. 5 free agent available in the upcoming offseason, and the top QB.
Gayle thinks that, in the end, Jones will return to Indy.
"Everything was finally clicking for Jones in a way it never did during his years in New York," Gayle writes. "Not coincidentally, it was far and away the best situation Jones has had in his seven-year career. That’s not to say he couldn’t be a serviceable starter in another offense if he does hit the open market in March, but the best, and most likely, outcome for both sides is for Jones to stay in Indianapolis."
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If the Colts can also re-sign one of Jones' top targets, Alec Pierce, this is an offense that can stay pretty special in 2026 with the likes of Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren still on board, too.
Another team could swoop in with a big offer, but for Jones, it probably makes sense not to mess with a good thing.
If the Colts want Jones back, and there's no reason to believe they don't, then it's safe to expect him to return on some kind of deal, albeit not one as big as it could've been before the injury.
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