Colts

Colts QB Daniel Jones approaches the 2026 season on the mend from a torn Achilles he suffered in December. Colts HC Shane Steichen said Jones worked extremely hard on his rehab and doesn’t seem impacted by his injury. 

“So far it hasn’t (impacted him). It’s been phenomenal,” Steichen said, via Jonathan Jones of The Athletic. “His rehab process, he attacked it tirelessly. I mean, it was unbelievable. I’m not even kidding when I say this, it was 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Like all day, training room, weight room, back to the training room, throwing, you name it. He’s like, ‘I am going to be ready,’ and he was very confident in that. Some guys when they go through rehab, they’re like, ‘Yeah, I’m getting there.’ He’s just like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be there.’”

Jones said he’s been listening to their trainers and doctors throughout the offseason, but still feels like he has a “little bit of strength to improve.”

“Throughout this process, I’ve tried really hard to — when the trainers tell you it’s good to do something or the doctors tell you you’re good to do something, to trust that and to go with that,” Jones said. “And then your job at that point is to be aggressive and to push it and make sure you’re making the effort. If you trust them and they deem it safe and what you’re supposed to be doing, then it’s time to do it and push it. From that standpoint, I’ve felt good. I think there’s still some progress to be made and just building up reps on it and getting your body used to pushing off of it again and feeling it again. I think there’s a little bit of strength still to improve, but I think that’s all part of the process and I feel really good.”

Steichen thinks Jones has a better understanding of his system entering his second season in Indianapolis. 

“I think it’s understanding the ins and outs of the system, especially when we’re on the ball and we’re going,” Steichen said. “To be able to get us into the right place, whether we have a kill on them or not. A lot of those conversations take place, and going into year two, just the verbiage of spitting it out quickly. He’s got a great handle on it right now, so I’m really pleased with that.”

• Colts TE Tyler Warren watched the end of Wednesday’s practice with a wrap around his right groin area, per James Boyd.
• Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Warren is expected to miss around a week with a minor groin injury, with no worries for Week 1. 

Jaguars

Jaguars HC Liam Coen said leaving Los Angeles to go to Kentucky (twice) has been one of the biggest regrets of his coaching career.

“I leave and they win the Super Bowl,” Coen said, via Rams Wire. “And now he calls me and he’s like, ‘Hey, Kevin O’Connell’s going to get the Vikings job. I’d love for you to come back as the OC.’ I was just an assistant position coach there. I was the assistant quarterbacks coach. That was, again, another honor of a lifetime. I’m like, ‘I can’t pass that up’. And it ends up being our hardest year, and the most challenging year.

“And that was probably one of my biggest regrets. In this profession, you ask about movements and what goes into that. Sean, at that time in ’22, we had that tough year, won five games, and weren’t really quite sure what he was going to do, maybe, in ways. And Kentucky called back, and we had just loved it there. It was beautiful, it was amazing, we had our first child there. Kind of chased some money a little bit. And also, an ego decision, I think, was I wasn’t calling plays in L.A. I knew what I was getting into, but I did miss that. And not just calling plays but leading – like, leading your way.

“And that was my biggest regret going back to Kentucky in ’23, because you know what? I thought it was an opportunity – hadn’t lost a lot in my career. Like, I didn’t have a ton of losing seasons or be on a ton of bad teams. I had been on some. I thought it was just a great opportunity to stick something out with a friend and an organization that gave you your first opp that I missed, that I walked away from when it was hard and went to a familiar place that I had success. Looking at it, immediately got back in that spring and yeah, I had some regret. I didn’t feel great about myself, about the decision I made. At the end of the day, I probably wouldn’t have gotten Tampa if I hadn’t gone there. It did work out in the end, but it was my biggest regret of moves in my career.”

Texans

• Discussing where the Texans go after losing WR Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL, Aaron Wilson notes it probably means leaning more on WR Nico Collins and TE Dalton Schultz, the two most established pass catchers. 
• Houston is hoping to ramp WR Jaylin Noel back up after his absence with multiple injuries, while they also have WR Xavier Hutchinson coming off his best season. (Aaron Wilson)