Colts' Daniel Jones lands near top of NFL Comeback Player rankings

Daniel Jones, the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback, is projected as a top contender for the 2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. According to NFL.com analyst Grant Gordon, Jones secured the second position in his list of top 10 candidates for the prestigious accolade. The only player ahead of Jones on the list is Patrick Mahomes from the Kansas City Chiefs, who is recovering from a torn ACL and LCL.

Jones suffered his Achilles injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars during Week 14 of last season. However, prior to the injury, he had shown a resurgence in his career during his inaugural season in Indianapolis. In 13 starts, Jones achieved a 68% completion rate, throwing for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

His passer rating of 100.2 placed him in the top half among qualified quarterbacks, while his 8.1 yards per attempt was third in the league. Despite playing through a fracture in his left leg later in the season, Jones' performance helped the Colts go 8-2 before his injury. Since his recovery began progressing smoothly, the quarterback was fully cleared for training camp approximately seven months after tearing his Achilles.

This timeline places Jones in the company of other successful comeback players. According to NFL.com, quarterbacks have won 17 out of the last 25 Comeback Player of the Year awards. The most recent recipient from the Colts is Andrew Luck, who returned in 2018.