Daniel Jones reportedly suffered a torn right Achilles injury on Sunday.
The Indianapolis Colts quarterback, who was already playing with a fractured left fibula, went down with a non-contact lower right leg injury in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported later on Sunday that Jones will undergo surgery, concluding his stellar bounce-back season.
Jones slammed his helmet on the ground while being treated on the field being hobbling off. He left the stadium under his own power, limping back to the locker room with trainers.
Jones was quickly ruled out with an Achilles injury moments later. Indy trailed Jacksonville 14-7 at the time of the injury, and later lost the game 36-19.
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round rookie out of Notre Dame, played in relief of Jones as the team’s only other active quarterback. He completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards and an interception in the loss.
It had been a dream season for Jones and the Colts after he signed with Indy last offseason. The former New York Giants first-rounder entered Week 14 with 24 total touchdowns, seven interceptions and 3,041 passing yards, leading the team to a 7-1 start before recent struggles.
With the Colts and Jaguars both sitting at 8-4, Sunday’s game between the AFC South rivals was critical. The Jags now lead the division at 9-4, while the 8-5 Colts appear to be in trouble.
Leonard is the only healthy quarterback currently on the 53-man roster. Brett Rypien is on the practice squad, and Schefter added a new QB may be signed later this week.
Former first-round pick Anthony Richardson is still on injured reserve due to a fractured orbital bone.
The Colts will have Leonard under center during a brutal close to the season. Their schedule, in order, is at Seattle, vs. San Francisco and Jacksonville then at Houston in Week 18. A stunning near-playoff miss is in the equation despite the aforementioned hot start.
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