Cornerback Vontae Davis may have played his last game for the Colts, as the veteran defensive back — and pending free agent — is likely to undergo season-ending surgery on his injured groin, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
Davis’ injury situation has been riddled with controversy, as Colts head coach Chuck Pagano indicated Davis’ inactivation — which the cornerback refers to as a “demotion” — was simply a personnel decision based on performance. While the issue may seem minor, Davis indicated that his recent poor play is a result of his health questions.
“I’ve been here six years,” Davis said, per a separate piece from Holder. “We’ve had similar situations where I played hurt. These things happen. And I never got confronted and (no one) said, ‘Your play has slipped.’ Nothing. I was playing at a level that was acceptable.But now, my play slips and this? They should have come to me way earlier and said, ‘Vontae, you’re not yourself. You’re not playing well.’ I told the trainers my groin was not responding.”
“It should be more about the respect. I’m a professional,” Davis continued. “I’ve been in (the league) long enough. When I look at the situation, I feel like there was no respect. Knowing Chuck, I figured it would come from him. It really bothered me. I just figured it would be handled differently just knowing our (relationship). That’s the frustrating part. I felt like I was demoted for my (health). That’s the thing. If I get demoted and it’s because I can’t play, I would just say, ‘I (freaking) suck.’”
Regardless of how the situation was handled, there’s no question that Davis has struggled over the past two seasons. Following an entirely successful career that topped out with Pro Bowl appearances in 2014-15, Davis hasn’t played well since 2016. This year, he’s played on roughly half of Indianapolis’ snaps and graded as the league’s No. 94 cornerback among 117 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Davis is a free agent at season’s end, and while his relationship (whether positive or negative) with Pagano may not matter much given that the Colts could have a new head coach next year, Indy could certainly move on from Davis, whom they acquired via trade in 2012. Entering his second campaign as general manager, Chris Ballard may opt to secure younger options on the defensive side of the ball.
