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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts’ Carson Wentz, Quenton Nelson To Play Week 1?

August 11th, 2021 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

Great news for the Colts. Quarterback Carson Wentz is “trending” to play in the season opener against the Seahawks (Twitter link via Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com). Ditto for All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, who also underwent foot surgery. 

[RELATED: Colts Extend Frank Reich, Chris Ballard]

Things were looking bleak for the Colts just a few days ago as both players were projected to miss a chunk of September. Nothing’s certain just yet, but it appears that Wentz and Nelson will be good to go after all. With Wentz under center, Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger will no longer have to cram for the QB1 role — the youngsters are now back to competing for the backup job.

Nelson, meanwhile, should be able to man LG to start the year. Now, the Colts just need more good news on the rest of their front five. Center Ryan Kelly is still nursing an elbow injury that’s keeping him off the practice field while new left tackle Eric Fisher is working his way back from an Achilles tear. Fortunately, Kelly’s elbow issue doesn’t seem all that serious and the latest word on Fisher is promising, even though there’s no timeline for his full return just yet.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him – just watching a couple of his workouts with our trainers working him out, I think he looks really good,” head coach Frank Reich said this week. “In fact, I saw him doing something the other day and I yelled over, ‘Put some pads on him!’ I thought he looked that good.”

The Colts hope to have all three lineman healthy with support — not spot starts — from Chris Reed and Sam Tevi.

Colts Extend Frank Reich, Chris Ballard

August 11th, 2021 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have signed head coach Frank Reich and GM Chris Ballard to brand new contracts. The extensions will keep both of them in place through the 2026 season.

“In Chris Ballard and Frank Reich, we have as great a General Manager-head coach combination as there is in the NFL, and I can’t tell you how proud I am to have them leading our franchise,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a press release.

“I truly believe this football team is on the doorstep of great things, and that’s because of the culture both have cultivated in their time with the Horseshoe. Whether we are marching toward the playoffs or facing adversity, whether we are building our roster or making a difference in the community, we have the ideal leaders in Chris and Frank.”

Ballard spent 12 seasons with the Bears and served asJohn Dorsey‘s right-hand man in Kansas City before joining the Colts in January of 2017. One year later, after the Josh McDaniels mess, he hired Reich. Things have worked out pretty well since then — the Colts have gone 28-20 over the last three seasons with and two playoff berths.

“I really believe that you will see a golden era develop as we go into this decade sitting here in 2021,” Irsay said earlier this year. “I believe it with all my heart and soul. There is good reason to believe it. You talk to people around the league and people that know, they are going to agree with what I’m saying when they look at Chris Ballard and Frank Reich and the expectations going into this decade that we have for both of them leading the team.”

Latest On Colts’ Quarterback Situation

August 10th, 2021 at 7:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:45pm: As Holder reports, Wentz was at practice today with no protection on his foot and no obvious limp. Reich called Wentz’s outlook “very encouraging,” and regardless of how the Ehlinger/Eason battle plays out, it doesn’t sound like either young passer will be holding the reins too long.

12:32pm: The Colts have thus far opted against acquiring a veteran to run their offense while Carson Wentz rehabs, and the team will begin giving rookie Sam Ehlinger a longer look to fill the post.

Ehlinger has worked his way into the mix here, with Frank Reich indicating Tuesday (via The Athletic’s Stephen Holder, on Twitter) the sixth-round pick has looked good enough in practice to split first-team reps with Jacob Eason. Eason will start the Colts’ first preseason game, but Reich adds (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells, on Twitter) the second-year QB and Ehlinger will split starter reps in the team’s joint practices against the Panthers on Thursday and Friday.

While Ehlinger has outplayed Eason during Colts camp, this does mark a bit of a change from the team’s view of its current quarterback situation. Reich said last week Eason would remain in the driver’s seat for the role, despite Ehlinger impressing early. Now, the two appear to be in a true competition.

A four-year starter at Texas, Ehlinger was the 10th quarterback off the board this year. The No. 218 overall pick does bring considerably more game work than Eason, who transferred from Georgia to Washington but declared for the draft after one season as the Huskies’ starter. Ehlinger threw 1,476 passes with the Longhorns. Eason, Georgia’s primary starter in 2016, attempted 782 in college. The latter, however, was viewed slightly better through an NFL lens and became a 2020 fourth-round pick. Eason has yet to take a snap in a game, with the COVID-19 pandemic nixing last year’s preseason slate and Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett ahead of him on Indy’s 2020 depth chart.

This year’s Colts QB hierarchy may involve Wentz in the not-too-distant future. Initially given a vague five- to 12-week timetable to recover from foot surgery, Wentz will be re-evaluated in two weeks, per Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, who adds the Colts are expecting him to return on the front end of this timetable (video link). As of now, the team envisions its preferred starter to be back early in the season.

The Colts could stash Wentz on IR to start the year, carrying him onto their 53-man roster and parking him on the injured list for at least three weeks. However, Wentz hitting the front end of his rehab timetable would likely induce the Colts to keep him on their active roster and play this week-to-week.

Saints CB Patrick Robinson To Retire

August 10th, 2021 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Patrick Robinson will stop short of playing a 12th NFL season. Midway through training camp, the veteran cornerback has told the Saints he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Robinson, 33, was going into the final year of his contract.

Like Malcolm Jenkins, Robinson entered the NFL as a Saints first-round pick who ended up playing a major role on the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl-winning team. Both DBs migrated back to New Orleans. While Jenkins continued to see steady time in his second Saints stint, Robinson became a part-timer. His exit will nonetheless strip the Saints of another veteran corner. The team released previous starter Janoris Jenkins earlier this year.

Robinson saw considerably more time during his first Saints go-round, playing five seasons with the team to start the 2010s. The 2010 first-rounder then made his way to the Chargers and Colts in consecutive years, before landing with the Eagles on one-year contract — his third straight — in 2017.

Robinson manned the slot in Philadelphia and joined Jenkins in helping the team upset the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The 5-foot-11 defender finished his age-30 season with four interceptions and graded as the league’s No. 6 overall cornerback that season, per Pro Football Focus. He added a pick-six in the Eagles’ NFC championship game rout against the Vikings.

The veteran parlayed that standout season into a four-year, $20MM deal to return to New Orleans. However, a broken ankle three games into the 2018 season sidetracked Robinson’s return. Although the Saints kept him on their roster in 2019 and 2020, Robinson topped out at just a 24% snap rate — in 2020 — during his second New Orleans tenure. He was a healthy scratch in the Saints’ divisional-round loss to the Buccaneers. The 11-year vet wraps his career with 16 interceptions — including a 99-yard pick-six in 2012 — and 83 passes defensed in 123 games.

The Saints have been on the lookout for cornerback help this offseason, attempting to trade up for Jaycee Horn or Patrick Surtain II and now being linked to Jaguars 2020 first-rounder C.J. Henderson. Robinson’s retirement underscores the team’s need at the position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/21

August 8th, 2021 at 8:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: RB Pete Guerriero

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Football Team

  • Waived: OL Cole Boozer

Colts, Darius Leonard Agree To Extension

August 8th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Rory Parks

7:31pm: Guarantee-wise, it does not look like Leonard’s deal will be quite as lucrative as Mosley’s. The Colts linebacker will see $33MM fully guaranteed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. That comes in $10MM below Mosley’s figure, which could be expected given that the Jets linebacker was a free agent when he inked that deal in 2019.

Factoring in the injury guarantees, Leonard’s extension does lead all off-ball linebackers; the Colts included $53MM guaranteed overall. Leonard’s full $20MM signing bonus will be paid by March 2022, JLC adds. Overall, Leonard’s extension checks in at $98.5MM base valeu, per OverTheCap, but it can max out at $99.3MM through weekly bonuses and Pro Bowl incentives.

8:07am: The Colts and star linebacker Darius Leonard have agreed to a five-year, $99.25MM extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Leonard is now the highest-paid off-ball LB in the league.

Leonard and 49ers ‘backer Fred Warner, both selected in the 2018 draft, became extension-eligible at the end of the 2020 campaign, and because they were not first-round choices, they were slated for free agency next spring. So it was imperative for their respective clubs to extend their defensive cornerstones sooner rather than later, and after Warner signed a five-year, $95MM pact last month, it felt like only a matter of time before the Colts and Leonard came together on a slightly more lucrative accord.

Indeed, we heard on July 21 that the two sides were close to a new deal, but as Rapoport adds in a separate tweet, negotiations came to a standstill over the past several weeks. It’s unclear exactly what the holdup was, but perhaps it had to do with guarantees and cash flow.

As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com reports, Leonard did not just set the off-ball LB market in terms of average annual value ($19.85MM). His $52.5MM in guaranteed money edges out the $51MM that C.J. Mosley pulled down from the Jets several years ago, and the $60MM that he will receive over the first three years of the deal tops Warner’s $58.7MM (Twitter link).

Leonard, 26, is certainly worthy of that type of commitment. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2018, and in his first three years as a pro, he has made three Pro Bowls and earned two First Team All-Pro nods. Although Pro Football Focus did not think as highly of his run defense or pass coverage in 2020 as it did in the prior two years, he consistently ranks among the best LBs in football in terms of both advanced metrics and raw stats. Since entering the league, Leonard leads all inside linebackers in tackles per game (9.9), TFL per game (one), sacks (15), forced fumbles (nine), and he is second in interceptions (seven) (h/t Field Yates of ESPN.com on Twitter).

In short, he is an elite defender and an indispensable piece of Indy’s front seven. He is now being paid like it.

Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio first reported that a deal was either done or close to being done (Twitter link).

Jacob Eason Remains Atop Colts’ QB Depth Chart

August 8th, 2021 at 12:40pm CST by Rory Parks

For now, the Colts are not planning to trade for a quarterback to fill in for the injured Carson Wentz. Similarly, the club is not planning to shake up its QB depth chart, currently topped by 2020 fourth-rounder Jacob Eason.

According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, sixth-round rookie Sam Ehlinger has performed better than Eason in training camp, prompting reporters to ask head coach Frank Reich if he might consider elevating Ehlinger to QB1 status.

“Fair question, because [Ehlinger] has looked good,” Reich said. “But, right now, our plan is to put Jacob in the driver’s seat. Sam is getting a lot of reps. They’ll keep competing. This is a competition. … Jacob is making good progress as well.”

Holder concedes that Eason has demonstrated improvement, but he says Ehlinger has generally looked like the stronger passer, especially when it comes to throwing with anticipation. And while Eason has the arm strength and size that Ehlinger lacks, Ehlinger’s athleticism is superior to that of his counterpart (which might prove critical given that the Colts’ O-line is presently without several starters).

Indianapolis’ preseason opener is set for August 15, and it sounds as if Eason will keep working with the first-team offense up to and through that game. But if Ehlinger continues to play better, Reich could be forced to make a switch.

This is a prime opportunity for both young passers. The Colts, who went into the summer with championship aspirations, hope one of Eason or Ehlinger can at least keep the club afloat until Wentz returns.

Indianapolis is also rostering Brett Hundley, but the former Packers draftee is not a candidate to be Wentz’s replacement.

Colts Host Ha Ha Clinton-Dix For Workout

August 5th, 2021 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite not playing in 2020, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has remained on teams’ radars for a potential role this season. The Colts are the latest team to meet with the former first-round pick.

Clinton-Dix trekked to Indianapolis for a workout Thursday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), joining other players at this audition. The six-year veteran has been on the market for nearly a year. The Cowboys cut him just before Week 1 last year.

The Colts followed the Panthers, Texans and Raiders by meeting with Clinton-Dix this year. Clinton-Dix, 28, played with the Bears in 2019 and worked as a full-time starter. Overall, the Alabama product has 90 starts and a Pro Bowl on his resume. Although Clinton-Dix’s Cowboys stay did not pan out, Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 19 overall safety in 2019.

Indy has Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis in place as its starting safeties, with the latter taking over for Malik Hooker — who has since landed with the Cowboys — after his September Achilles tear. The Colts also used a fifth-round pick on Shawn Davis this year. Creating some potential confusion, they also have ex-Steelers starter Sean Davis among their safeties. Six-year vet Ibraheim Campbell also resides on the Colts’ roster.

QB Philip Rivers Would Consider Late-Season Return

August 3rd, 2021 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

We may not have seen the last of Philip Rivers. Sam Farmer of the LA Times reports (via Twitter) that the quarterback “isn’t closing the door” on returning to the NFL. While the 39-year-old is currently focused on his gig as a high school coach, he’d consider joining a QB-needy squad late in the season.

The 17-year veteran announced his retirement back in January, but that came after a month or so of mulling his decision. At the time, Rivers cited his “growing desire to coach high school football” as reasoning for hanging up his cleats. The 39-year-old still sounds committed to that cause, but Rivers could return to the NFL once the high school season concludes.

Of course, a potential return would be dependent on a job opening. Presumably, Rivers would only be interested in joining a contender, which means a top QB would have to succumb to injury. Plus, these teams might prefer to stick with their in-house options, so Rivers’ list of suitors will probably be limited. Still, these hypothetical suitors could do a whole lot worse; Rivers guided the Colts to an 11-5 record last season while completing 68-percent of his passes for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

That performance was a big reason why the Colts were interested in a reunion. Indy could use someone of Rivers’ caliber right now while Carson Wentz is sidelined. However, the current starter is expected to miss anywhere from five to 12 weeks; even if Wentz returns on the late side of that timeline, it would still only be late October. If Rivers is truly only focused on a late-season return, the Colts probably won’t be a fit.

Rivers spent 16 years with the Chargers before spending the 2020 campaign in Indianapolis. In total, the former fourth-overall pick threw for 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns while earning nine Pro Bowl nods during his career.

Surgery For Colts’ Quenton Nelson

August 3rd, 2021 at 1:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts got a double dose of bad news this week. In addition to quarterback Carson Wentz, star guard Quenton Nelson will also miss a portion of the season (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 

[RELATED: Carson Wentz To Have Surgery, Out 5-12 Weeks]

Like Wentz, Nelson also needs repair on a bone issue in his foot. Schefter hears that Nelson is looking at a similar timeline — that means the three-time All-Pro will be out for the next 5-12 weeks, likely preventing him from playing in the Colts’ season opener.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” head coach Frank Reich told reporters today, adding that Wentz’s surgery went as well as it could have.

The Colts opted to keep Nelson at his left guard post, despite the retirement of longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo. That’s where he’ll be once he’s ready to return to action, but they’ll be dealing with lots of holes up front in the interim. Center Ryan Kelly is still nursing an elbow injury that’s keeping him off the practice field while new LT Eric Fisher is still returning from an Achilles tear. For now, they’ll try to get by with more from backups like Chris Reed and Sam Tevi.

Nelson, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2018 draft, has earned First Team All-Pro honors in each of his three professional seasons. The Colts have him under contract through 2022 (at a rate of $14MM) thanks to his fifth-year option.

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