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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/21

October 19th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LB Connor Strachan

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Colts Activate WR T.Y. Hilton, Place K Rodrigo Blankenship On IR

October 16th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Ben Levine

T.Y. Hilton is set to make his 2021 debut tomorrow against the Texans. The veteran wideout has officially been activated from injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The team also placed kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on IR and promoted kicker Michael Badgley and safety Jordan Lucas from the practice squad.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. The 31-year-old returned to practice earlier this week, an indication that he was close to returning to the field. The veteran hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018, but he’ll still provide Carson Wentz with a reliable target. Hilton finished the 2020 campaign with 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

Blankenship’s hip pain played a major factor in the Colts blowing a 19-point lead Monday night, as the second-year kicker missed an extra point and two field goals in an Indianapolis overtime loss. Ultimately, that injury will land Blankenship on IR, and the team will turn to their recent practice squad acquisition. Badgley is best known for his three-year Chargers stint, as the Money Badger kicked in 34 games for the Bolts from 2018-20. He made 94% of his field goal attempts as a rookie but connected on less than 73% of his tries in 16 games last season. The Titans cut Badgley after he missed a field goal and an extra point in Week 1.

Lucas joined the Colts practice squad in late September. The defensive back opted out of the 2020 campaign, but he previously appeared in 30 games for the Chiefs between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Colts CB Xavier Rhodes, S Andrew Sendejo In Concussion Protocol

October 14th, 2021 at 10:17pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Colts defensive backs might not be cleared to play this weekend. The team announced that cornerback Xavier Rhodes and safety Andrew Sendejo are in the concussion protocol.

This is a tough break for Rhodes, who missed the first two games of the season with a calf injury. He’s been relatively productive since returning to the lineup, although he was limited to 41 snaps on Monday before exiting with the concussion. The veteran is currently in his second season with Indy. He got into all 16 games in 2020, finishing with 42 tackles, 12 passes defended, and two interceptions.

Sendejo‘s absence further depletes a safety corps that’s already missing Khari Willis. After starting 14 games for the Browns in 2020, Sendejo has started two of his four games in 2021, collecting eight tackles.

If Rhodes and Sendejo are unable to go this weekend against the Texans, the team would have to turn to defensive backs BoPete Keyes, Anthony Chesley, or George Odum to cover the open cornerback and safety spot.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton Considered Retirement

October 14th, 2021 at 7:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Following neck surgery that forced him to sit out the start of the 2021 season, veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton briefly considered hanging up his cleats, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic on Twitter.

“The first two days out of surgery, I didn’t think I’d be back, man, to be honest with you,” Hilton said (via Akeem Giaspie of the Indianapolis Star). “It was just painful. It was very painful. I hope nobody has to go through that at all. It sucks, especially not being able to play the game that I love after being in training camp so long with my team grinding and being so happy. God is good.”

The receiver acknowledged that he talked with former teammate Andrew Luck, who decided to retire after only seven years in the NFL.

“I talked to Andrew, that was probably the wrong thing to do,” Hilton said with a smirk. “(Luck) just wanted me to be good with it, get back healthy and don’t rush it. … He was a big supporter. My family just continued to check on me, so I was good once I got over those two to three days I started feeling better.”

Hilton has established himself as one of the greatest receivers in Colts history. In nine seasons with the organization, Hilton has hauled in 608 receptions for 9,360 yards and 50 touchdowns. The 31-year-old returned to practice yesterday, starting his 21-day IR-return clock.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. Hilton will be eligible to play Sunday against the Texans. While the Colts could slow-play his return, they are 1-4 and need as many weapons as possible in the near future.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/14/21

October 14th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s taxi squad moves:

Carolina Panthers

Kansas City Chiefs

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

Colts To Sign K Michael Badgley

October 13th, 2021 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts’ kicker workout will lead to a signing. Michael Badgley agreed to terms to return to Indianapolis, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). He will join Indianapolis’ practice squad and serve as the backup option to Rodrigo Blankenship, who is battling a hip injury.

Badgley joined Brett Maher, Aldrick Rosas and Riley Patterson for the Wednesday audition. The Colts summoning Badgley for a physical was a fairly clear indicator he would be the pick, and they are bringing him back into the fold. Badgley began his career with the Colts, signing with the team as a UDFA in 2018. The Colts cut him after training camp, however, with Adam Vinatieri still thriving at that point.

An ex-Miami Hurricane, Badgley is best known for his three-year Chargers stint. The Money Badger kicked in 34 games for the Bolts from 2018-20. He made 94% of his field goal attempts as a rookie but connected on less than 73% of his tries in 16 games last season. The Titans cut Badgley after he missed a field goal and an extra point in Week 1.

Blankenship’s hip pain played a major factor in the Colts blowing a 19-point lead Monday night. The second-year kicker missed an extra point and two field goals in Indianapolis overtime loss. The Colts may well require their new emergency kicker’s assistance this week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/13/21

October 13th, 2021 at 1:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Colts’ T.Y. Hilton Returning To Practice

October 13th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.Y. Hilton‘s season debut appears near. The longtime Colts wide receiver is set to return to practice Wednesday. This will start his 21-day IR-return clock.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. Hilton will be eligible to play Sunday against the Texans. While the Colts could slow-play his return, they are 1-4 and need as many weapons as possible in the near future.

After seriously considering signing with the Ravens, Hilton returned to the Colts on a third contract this offseason. He ranks third in franchise history in receiving yards, having passed Hall of Famer Raymond Berry late last season. The Colts have seen second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. make strides to start his second season, but Hilton coming back would certainly be a boon for their passing attack.

Beyond Pittman, who leads the team by a wide margin with 368 receiving yards, the Colts have seen Zach Pascal emerge as their No. 2 wide receiver. Hilton may slot into that WR2 role, given Pittman’s early-season work. Although Hilton — a five-time 1,000-yard receiver — has not cleared 800 receiving yards in a season since 2018, he should still have some gas in the tank at age 31. Though, injuries have become a concern for the four-time Pro Bowler in recent years. After missing just two games across his first six seasons, Hilton has missed 14 since October 2018.

RB Marlon Mack On Chiefs’ Radar

October 13th, 2021 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

Clyde Edwards-Helaire will miss multiple games for the second straight season, leaving the Chiefs thin in the backfield. While Darrel Williams is in line to fill in while Edwards-Helaire recovers from his latest injury, the two-time reigning AFC champions have been looking into a higher-profile fill-in.

The Chiefs have discussed Marlon Mack as a trade option, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. The Colts are aiming to accommodate Mack with a trade, and Edwards-Helaire is set to miss at least three games with the MCL sprain he sustained Sunday night.

[RELATED: Mack Discusses Potential Trade]

Kansas City represents the first team connected to Mack, a former 1,000-yard rusher who re-signed with Indianapolis after suffering an Achilles tear in Week 1 of last season. But Mack’s market is cold, per Fowler. A late-round pick would seemingly get a deal done.

A fourth-year UDFA, Williams has served as CEH’s direct backup this season. Free agent pickup Jerick McKinnon has handled just four touches in five games. The Chiefs opted to bring in a well-known weapon last year to back up Edwards-Helaire, signing Le’Veon Bell midseason. That deal did not end up moving the needle much.

Mack, 25, amassed 1,091 rushing yards and eight touchdowns for the Colts two seasons ago, doing so in 14 games. In 12 games in 2018, Mack helped the Colts go from 1-5 to the playoffs by totaling 908 rushing yards and nine TDs in just 12 games. While the former fourth-round pick has not been used much as an aerial weapon, he showed consistent rushing ability — behind one of the NFL’s best offensive lines — before his injury. Mack also delivered a bit of a breakthrough effort Monday, rushing for 47 yards on five carries. For the season, Mack has just 85 yards on 20 totes.

The Colts have Jonathan Taylor signed through 2022 and recently gave passing-down back Nyheim Hines an extension. This profiles as Indianapolis’ long-term backfield pairing, with Mack now merely representing short-term depth behind Taylor. Mack’s one-year deal includes less than $800K in remaining base salary.

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