INDIANAPOLIS -- Daniel Jones is not paid to play slow-pitch softball. But, competitor that he is, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback was going to give it a go during his first at-bat in a recent charity softball game that featured the Colts and Indiana Pacers.
With Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton on the mound at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis, Jones took his best swing and made solid contact. The ball soared, and Jones paused for a moment to admire its flight.
Once the ball cleared the short, makeshift fence in right field for a home run, the crowd cheered as Jones rounded the bases. The thousands attending seemed to embrace the opportunity to celebrate Jones. They likely hope there soon will be further opportunities to do the same down the street at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"I realized pretty quickly when I got here last year just how supportive these fans are," Jones said.
It was a much different reception than anything Jones witnessed during his final season playing in New York, when he was once jeered and booed by Giants fans while walking to his car at MetLife Stadium after one of his final games there in 2024.
It would have been difficult back then to envision the embattled Jones headlining an event alongside a beloved star such as Haliburton. Jones' NFL career would soon hit rock bottom when he was benched and, later, released by the Giants, winding up stashed on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad.
"That was definitely a low point," he said.
Now, two contracts and one torn Achilles later, Jones is exactly where he wants to be. And if he can meet expectations this season -- bounce back from the torn right Achilles and reignite the Colts' offense as he did last season before his injury -- Jones thinks he might have found a long-term home.
"That's always the goal," Jones said, "to be somewhere long term and build something."
Jones has reversed his fortunes before, and the Colts are betting he can do it again. He bounced back after his tumultuous tenure in New York, reaching a point where now his likeness adorns the side of a 33-story luxury hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Finishing 2025 with, easily, the best season of his career did wonders for rehabilitating his reputation.
"I'm really excited to see how everything pans out for him," said Haliburton, who has developed a bit of a kinship with Jones as Haliburton rebounds from his own Achilles tear. "I know he's going to do great, and I'm really excited that he's back. And I know the city is, as well."
But can Jones do it again and put together another impressive season after his injury? Everything that has happened in recent months suggests the answer could be yes. Jones commanded the first-team offense during training camp, missing no days of practice, and he remains on track to play against the Baltimore Ravens in the Colts' opener Sept. 13 (1 p.m. ET, CBS). His comeback has been stunning even to those who've seen it up close.
"It was super hard to envision it because it's an Achilles," tight end Mo Alie-Cox said. "... There weren't many great examples of somebody coming back that fast. And then we came back for OTAs, he's already throwing, running. Then, he starts taking parts and 7-on-7, and I'm like, 'Hold on, this might be real.'"
It has all the makings of a great story. As Jones starts to reflect on what has transpired the past two years, the details he offers make that clearer.
He thought back to his final weeks in New York and admitted he could see where things were headed. His last start was an overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 10 of the 2024 season. He threw two interceptions, and the Giants fell to 2-8 in a game played in Germany. The back page of the New York Post the following morning declared, in large font, "THE WURST!"
"I wasn't playing well, and things weren't going our way," Jones said. "I remember the game in Germany was tough, and then, in the bye week, you kind of got an idea of what might happen."
Jones was benched before the Giants' next game, with Tommy DeVito ascending to the starting role. The Giants were reluctant to use Jones even in practice, given the likelihood they would cut him following the season. That meant ensuring they weren't on the hook for paying the $23 million injury guarantee they'd owe if he got hurt.
week one 🔜 pic.twitter.com/MqKHfyIn2B
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 2, 2026
"I couldn't practice, I couldn't work out, I couldn't really do anything," Jones said. "So, I was just kind of there."
Jones appealed to ownership to release him. The request was granted, and Jones was without a team for the first time. He was the Giants' first-round pick in 2019 and had shown enough to be rewarded with a four-year, $160 million contract. But just like that, his time there was over.
"You're not expecting to be dealing with all that and looking for a new place to go at that point in the season," Jones said.
Jones is measured and extremely private. But those who know him confirm the end of his New York experience was difficult on him. The turmoil there played a role in the Colts' decision to spend more on Jones' recent two-year, $88 million extension, according to a source, hoping it would signal what Indianapolis views as a true commitment.
Jones finished the season with the Vikings, hoping to learn from their coach Kevin O'Connell, who is considered a quarterback specialist. Then, in free agency during spring 2025, the Colts offered an appealing situation: compete with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting job in Indy. The Colts had promised to add quarterback competition, but the choice of Jones on a one-year $14 million contract produced laughs in some corners.
By the fall, no one was laughing.
Jones started fast, winning the job and joining forces with coach Shane Steichen to torch defenses. The Colts had the best record in the NFL by Week 10 (8-2), and Jones was sizzling. Last season, he ranked top 10 among quarterbacks in completion rate (68%), QBR (63.0) and yards per attempt (8.1).
But Jones couldn't finish the job. He tore his right Achilles at Jacksonville in December. Jones immediately knew it, slamming his helmet into the turf in despair.
"I felt like someone kicked me really hard in the back of the leg, and I looked around and there was nobody there," Jones said. "And then you get up and your ankle's just kind of loose. At that point, I knew."
He continued, "At first, you're just in disbelief. You're like, 'No way this is happening right now. Not now.'
"There's just disappointment. I think the season to that point was the most fun I had playing football in the NFL. We had played well... I think you realize pretty quickly you're not going to be a part of that anymore. And that was the toughest part."
The Colts lost their next four games and missed the playoffs, with former Colts quarterback Philip Rivers coming out of retirement in an unsuccessful bid to save the season.
But even as the Colts tried to pick up the pieces from another lost campaign -- they haven't made the playoffs since 2020 -- they immediately turned their attention to running it back with Jones. Steichen and GM Chris Ballard believed they had seen enough to bank on him. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon quickly concurred.
Jones was re-signed in March, even before his rehab had progressed to the point of throwing again. But as offseason workouts intensified, Jones became more and more involved. He studied the details of how quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins had come back from their Achilles injuries. He worked unceasingly in his rehab. And it was all paying off.
When training camp began, the Colts removed the restrictions.
"The doctors," according to Steichen, "said, 'Hey, let's let him go.'"
Jones has practiced every day since the start of training camp and taken practically every first-team snap. It was a departure from last year's camp, when he and Richardson were competing and splitting reps.
"He had almost 450 more throws than he did a year ago at this time," Ballard said.
There's just one more box left to check: game action. That comes soon.