When the Colts kick off the 2026 season Sunday, it will be 280 days since quarterback Daniel Jones last took a snap in an NFL game.

And when he runs out of the tunnel at Lucas Oil Stadium to play against the Baltimore Ravens, Jones won't be thinking about himself or the fact he's back to full strength just nine months after sustaining an Achilles tear.

"I'm definitely excited to be out there and grateful for all the people who've helped me get to this point and be ready to play Week 1 this season," Jones said. "I think when you get to that point, it's about the game. You want to be as focused as you can be on what you need to do to play at a high level."

Even though the injury is in the rear view for Jones, the recovery process has not gone unnoticed to everyone around him. From fans to coaches, Jones' return to play is nothing short of impressive. The average recovery timeline from an Achilles' tear is anywhere from six to 12 months. Jones' rehab was anything but rushed, and the quarterback put in endless hours to make sure he'd be good to go.

"He's been great to work with for us as a coaching staff and I think great for our offense and for his teammates," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "For all of us in this building to see a great example of returning from adversity, of fighting through problems, issues, injuries and continuing to put the work in with the end goal in sight to be able to go back out there and play football again."

Jones' preseason and training camp looked different than last outside of his injury recovery. In 2025, he was battling with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting job – a battle he won. In 2026, Jones took 460 more snaps with the first-team in camp than in 2025.

For his teammates, having Jones back not only as a healthy quarterback, but as THE quarterback, only makes them better.

"Being able to build chemistry with the QB and just knowing who's going to be out there Sunday and not have a question of who I need to get more reps with or not as many reps with," wide receiver Josh Downs said. "You know exactly who you're going to have out there on Sunday."