Arya News - The injury is a devastating blow to Jones` career and the Colts` playoff hopes.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones left Sunday"s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a non-contact Achilles tendon injury in his right leg.
On Monday, head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that an MRI confirmed that Jones sustained a season-ending tear of the Achilles tendon that will require surgery. The injury is a devastating blow to his career and the Colts" season.
Jones fell and grabbed his lower right leg immediately after planting it on a pass Sunday and did not return to the game.
Jones had been playing with a fractured fibula in his left leg. This Achilles tendon injury is to his other leg.
Riley Leonard also dealing with knee injury
Rookie backup Riley Leonard took over for Jones at quarterback. A sixth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, Leonard had thrown two NFL passes prior to entering Sunday"s game. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in Indianapolis" 36-19 defeat in Jacksonville.
Steichen also announced Monday that Leonard is dealing with knee soreness and will "hopefully" be available for Sunday"s game against the Seattle Seahawks. If Leonard can"t go, it"s not clear who would start against Seattle.
Anthony Richardson remains on injured reserve with an orbital fracture sustained prior to a Week 6 game against the Cardinals. It"s not clear when or if he"ll be cleared to play this season.
With the win, the Jaguars improved to 9-4 to take control of the AFC South from the Colts. The 8-5 Colts are now on the outside looking in at the playoff picture after being in control of the division through most of the season. And they"ll have to finish the remainder of the regular season without their starting quarterback.
Jones, a seventh-season NFL veteran, was having his best campaign as a pro in his first year with the Colts after joining them in the offseason following five-plus seasons as the starter for the New York Giants.
The former first-round pick had completed 67.9% of his passes for 253.4 yards per game with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 starts for the Colts prior to Sunday"s game.
Jones was playing on a one-year, $14 million contract and appeared on track to earning a long-term deal in Indianapolis. He and the Colts will now go into the offseason with the waters muddied around his long-term status with the team on the heels of an Achilles injury that"s projected to sidelined for most if not all of next season.