The Indianapolis Colts' surprising and successful 2025 season has been rocked to its foundation by the sudden, devastating injury to quarterback Daniel Jones, transforming a comfortable playoff trajectory into a fight for survival.
Jones, who had been enjoying a resurgent, MVP-chatter-worthy campaign that saw him guide the Colts to the top of the AFC South, went down with a feared season-ending Achilles injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s Week 14 loss to the Jaguars. This brutal, non-contact injury, coupled with the fact that Jones was already playing through a fractured left fibula, serves as a cruel and likely insurmountable dagger to the team's postseason ambitions.
The true crisis for the Colts, who now sit at a precarious 8-5 and trailing in the division, is the alarming emptiness of their quarterback room as they hit the home stretch. Rookie Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick, was immediately pressed into service and is the only healthy quarterback currently on the 53-man roster. Leonard, who had barely attempted an NFL pass before Sunday, will now be tasked with leading a playoff-caliber team against a grueling remaining schedule that features multiple winning teams. The immediate reliance on the rookie is compounded by the bizarre status of the franchise's intended future starter, Anthony Richardson, who remains on the injured reserve.
The Colts enter the most important phase of their season with the lowest ceiling at the game's most critical position. Their once-promising push for the AFC South title has been immediately compromised, making a Wild Card berth a best-case scenario —and even that is now heavily dependent on their defense and running game carrying a rookie quarterback.
Ultimately, the gut-wrenching loss of Jones marks a potentially catastrophic turning point for the Indianapolis Colts. The sudden collapse of quarterback depth, from an MVP candidate to a single unproven rookie, is a major fall.
Here's the Colts' quarterback depth chart without Jones.
MORE: How Daniel Jones' Achilles injury hurts Colts' AFC playoff chances
Colts QB depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | Riley Leonard |
| 2 | Anthony Richardson (Injured Reserve) |
| 3 | Brett Rypien |
1. Riley Leonard
Rookie quarterback Riley Leonard has been violently thrust into the spotlight, transforming from the Colts' emergency third-stringer to the immediate starter following Daniel Jones's season-ending injury. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft, Leonard had seen almost no regular-season action prior to his emergency appearance in Week 14.
Leonard concluded a productive college career split between Duke (2021-2023) and Notre Dame (2024), establishing himself as a highly effective dual-threat quarterback. His breakout season came in 2022 at Duke, where he totaled nearly 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 699 yards and 13 scores, a performance that earned him Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition, the 2022 Military Bowl MVP award, and the Carmen Falcone Team MVP at Duke.
Following his transfer to Notre Dame for his senior year, he finished his collegiate career by guiding the Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff national championship. In total across his 43 collegiate games, Leonard accumulated 7,311 passing yards with 45 touchdowns and added 2,130 rushing yards with 36 rushing touchdowns, highlighting the versatility that ultimately led the Colts to select him in the draft.
He now inherits an 8-5 playoff contender, facing the immense pressure of salvaging the team's postseason hopes with a grueling final schedule. Though, Leonard's status is also in the air for Sunday as he is dealing with a knee injury.
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2. Anthony Richardson
The status of Anthony Richardson, the franchise's intended long-term quarterback, adds a layer of bizarre uncertainty to the Colts' situation. Richardson has been sidelined for months on Injured Reserve after suffering a fractured orbital bone in a freak accident involving a resistance band earlier this season.
While the injury was serious and required surgery, the greater issue is the lack of clarity: he has not yet been cleared for football activities, and the team remains publicly unsure if he will be able to return before the season concludes.
Richardson's rookie season was cut short after just four games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. In 2024, he struggled with a high turnover rate (8 touchdowns to 12 interceptions) over 11 games, eventually losing the starting job to Daniel Jones despite showcasing his elite rushing ability (499 yards and 6 touchdowns).
3. Brett Rypien
The Colts signed Rypien to their practice squad shortly after Anthony Richardson's injury, bringing in an experienced emergency option to shore up their severely depleted quarterback room.
Rypien, the nephew of former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, has spent his NFL career operating as a journeyman backup, having been signed by the Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, Jets, Bears, Vikings, and Bengals since going undrafted in 2019.
In 12 total games played, Rypien has completed 58.3% of his 168 pass attempts for 950 yards, with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. He might get his first action with the Colts if Leonard isn't available.
Daniel Jones injury update
The Colts have confirmed the devastating news that Jones sustained a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in his right leg during the Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Colts QB Daniel Jones is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles. Pic.twitter.com/qsgRL8SlPU
— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2025
The injury occurred in the first quarter of Sunday's game and was quickly ruled serious, with team officials confirming the diagnosis on Monday. Jones will undergo surgery within the coming week.
This injury is a catastrophic blow to the Colts' playoff aspirations, as Jones was in the midst of a career-best season, having led the team to an 8-5 record. The severity of the Achilles tear means a standard recovery timeline will sideline him for the remainder of the 2025 season and could potentially impact the beginning of the 2026 season. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Jones was already playing through a fractured left fibula and had signed only a one-year deal with the Colts, leaving his long-term future with the team highly uncertain.
MORE: Daniel Jones suffers season-ending Achilles injury
What happened to Daniel Jones?
Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg during the Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The injury occurred during a non-contact play in the first quarter when Jones dropped back to pass and collapsed to the turf, immediately clutching the back of his right ankle. Although he was able to walk to the sideline under his own power, the team quickly ruled him out of the game.
The Colts have since confirmed the diagnosis, and the injury is season-ending, requiring surgery.