Tyrese Haliburton Reveals Achilles Recovery Conversations With Colts QB Daniel Jones

Tyrese Haliburton and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones captained the two teams at the Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic on Monday night. Haliburton met reporters at Victory Field beforehand. Both men are working back from a torn right Achilles tendon. Both were operated on by the same surgeon.

Haliburton tore his in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 22, 2025, on a non-contact play with the score tied at 16. He had 9 points at the time, all on 3-pointers. Oklahoma City won 103-91. Jones tore his on Dec. 7, 2025, in the first quarter of a Week 14 loss at Jacksonville.

Jones is scheduled to start the Colts' opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indiana Pacers open Oct. 21 at New Orleans.

"We've talked. We've talked a good amount," Haliburton said. "Obviously, we have the same surgeon. So it's interesting. He got hurt very much so closer to now than I did, and he's coming back earlier. This is how the schedule worked out. So I'm really excited to see how everything pans out for him."

"I know he's going to do great, and I'm really excited that he's back," Haliburton continued. "I know the city is as well. We've had a few conversations. I'll be up here as much as I can. We've had some great conversations."

Haliburton had surgery the day after the injury. Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard ruled him out for the 2025-26 season on July 7, 2025, and the league granted Indiana a $14.1 million disabled player exception on July 24, 2025. Indiana finished 19-63, the worst record in franchise history.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter in December, surgery projected Jones's recovery to take six to eight months. The Colts applied the transition tag before the March 3 deadline, then signed him in March to a two-year, $88 million deal, which can increase to $100 million with incentives. He is guaranteed $50 million at signing and has been fully active since camp started, participating in 11-on-11 drills.

The New York Giants drafted Jones sixth overall in 2019 and released him during the 2024 season. He spent the rest of that year as a backup in Minnesota. Indianapolis signed him to a one-year deal, and he beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job. The Colts started 8-2 with him.

Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 games. He ran 45 times for 164 yards and five touchdowns. Jones played two games with a hairline fibula fracture before the Achilles tear.

Over 73 games in the 2024-25 season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. He had a field goal percentage of 47.3%, a 3-point shooting percentage of 38.8%, and a free-throw percentage of 85.1%. He made the All-NBA Third Team. Across 23 postseason games that spring, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists. The two-time All-Star signed a five-year, $244 million extension in July 2023 and will make $48,924,624 this season.

Pacers training camp opens Sept. 29. Indiana's home opener is Oct. 23 against the Dallas Mavericks.