NFL Star Quarterback Is Reportedly Using a 3D-Printed Pad To Protect His Broken Leg While Playing

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Daniel Jones turned to an old solution for a familiar problem this season. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback says he’s now wearing a custom 3D-printed pad on his broken left leg, and he trusts it enough to play every week. The idea came from two of his former Duke teammates, who helped him years ago when he broke his collarbone in college and stepped in again with another fix.

Jones first used the pad in the loss to Kansas City and wore it again in Sunday’s defeat to Houston. He said it fits tightly around his fractured fibula and doesn’t bother him at all on the field.

“Lucky to have smart friends who are really close friends,” Jones said. “It’s pretty low profile and fits to my leg pretty well. I didn’t really notice it Sunday.”

The Colts’ medical staff approved the pad before he used it. Jones didn’t share many details about how it works, but said he feels safe wearing it.

His former teammates, Clark Bulleit and Kevin Gehsmann, now run Protect3D, a company that creates custom 3D-printed braces for athletes. Their system scans an injury through an app and prints a personalized brace. Gehsmann even flew to Kansas City to hand-deliver Jones’s pad.

Jones Pushes Through the Pain

Jones said he still feels good enough to play and plans to play on Sunday against Jacksonville, although he was seen struggling during practice earlier. Both teams are 8-4, and the winner will take the lead in the AFC South. “I’ve been cleared to play, and I know it’s safe,” Jones said. “I feel good. I think I’m feeling better every week and continue to be able to do more and more.”

Colts coach Shane Steichen praised the design of the 3D pad. He likes that Jones’ former college teammates turned a school project into a real business. “They’ve been doing good. It’s pretty impressive,” Steichen said.

Jones began the season well, but his performance has slipped in the last month. The Colts lost three of their last four games, including their first back-to-back losses. Defenses pressured him more, he didn’t move as well, and his accuracy dropped.

Even so, Jones said he won’t sit out. He wants to play through the injury and keep the Colts in the playoff race, and his dedication was also visible when he took a hit on his face while playing against the Falcons. Basically, he just needs to stay careful with his leg and keep trusting the custom padding his old friends made for him.