Mental health awareness is personal for Colts quarterback Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones has experienced all the highs and lows associated with playing quarterback in the NFL.

He was under intense scrutiny from the moment the New York Giants made him a surprise pick with the No. 6 selection in the 2019 draft, taking a risk on a player from Duke who wasn’t considered a top-tier prospect.

Jones overcame doubts, criticism and injuries to lead the Giants to the second round of the playoffs in his fourth season.

But injuries and inconsistency over the next two seasons led New York to bench and then cut him in 2024. He ended up in Indianapolis after a brief stop in Minnesota and had such a great start in 2025 that he was an NFL MVP candidate at midseason only to suffer another season-ending injury.

Jones returned from surgery to repair a torn right Achilles to start Week 1 but the Colts are struggling at 2-5 and there are more questions about his future.

The overall pressure of playing in the NFL and dealing with the failure to perform up to expectations can take a heavy toll on a player’s psyche. The league has emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health and recently launched, along with the NFL Players Association, a Behavioral Health Network that will be designed to provide simplified and confidential access to mental health assistance.

For years, the Colts have been leading the charge on mental health awareness through Kicking the Stigma, an initiative that was important to late owner Jim Irsay and is personal for his daughter, Kalen Jackson, who is a team owner and chief brand officer and president of the Indianapolis Colts Foundation.

Jones participated in Kicking The Stigma’s launch of Strength In Every Story, a new athlete-led mental health awareness campaign “designed to spark meaningful conversations, challenge stigma and encourage people to seek support when they need it.”

In 2018, Jones lost high school friend and teammate Sean Bonner Jr. to suicide. The Bonner family started a nonprofit organization called Mission 34 to honor their son and raise awareness. Jones has partnered with Mission 34 for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign.

“Looking out for yourself, knowing when you need help and kind of understanding that a lot of people are going through the same things and some advice or some encouragement or someone else’s experience, you never know where you could find some help or something that could help you kind of take the steps to feeling better,” Jones said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “It comes down to relationships and having those people you can talk to and regardless of where you are on the roster, football or outside of football, whatever you’re going through, I think just having those friends, having the people around and being comfortable sharing.”

Earlier this month, six-time Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson retired from the Eagles, saying it’s “critical that I focus on my mental health.

Jones said maintaining the right perspective helps him deal with ups and downs.

“For me, playing quarterback has kind of always been my dream to play quarterback in the NFL,” he said . “And I think keeping that perspective, even when things aren’t going well, still got a great opportunity and very fortunate to live this life. So I think keeping that in perspective and being grateful for what you have, being grateful for the people around you, your friends, your family. (I’m) lucky to have a strong support system of family and friends that regardless of how it goes on Sunday, I’ve got those people in my corner and that’s meant a lot.”

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