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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Michael Pittman Jr. Sustains Back Injury; IR In Play For Colts WR

October 9th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Receiving a big-ticket extension this offseason, Michael Pittman Jr. is facing his first extended injury absence in years. The Colts may be without their top wide receiver for a while due to a back injury.

The injury is expected to sideline the fifth-year wideout for multiple games, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicates IR is in play for Indianapolis. Pittman has not been on IR since his rookie season, having played all but two games since.

This adds to the Colts’ injury trouble. Jonathan Taylor missed last week with a high ankle sprain, and Anthony Richardson did not overcome a doubtful designation to play. The Colts started Joe Flacco for Richardson, who suffered oblique and abdominal strains against the Steelers. Both the quarterback and running back are uncertain for Week 6, a game that will not involve Pittman.

Leg surgery cost Pittman three games as a rookie, during a period in which an IR placement only cost a player three games. Pittman would miss four if placed on IR, and back injuries can certainly linger. This has already been a rocky season for Pittman, who has admittedly been hamstrung by Richardson’s developmental issues. Pittman has only topped 40 receiving yards in one of the Colts’ five 2024 games. Not coincidentally, it was the Week 4 contest Flacco finished.

The Colts gave Pittman a three-year, $70MM extension, doing so after using their franchise tag for the first time since 2013. His career-best numbers came with Gardner Minshew primarily targeting him last season; the former second-round pick totaled 109 catches for 1,152 yards. The Colts paid Taylor first, but the Chris Ballard regime — one that has made roster retention a high priority during his tenure — circled back to the 6-foot-4 wideout on Day 1 of the legal tampering period.

Indianapolis has been a Pittman-centric aerial operation for a while, having not done too well to find tight end production and struggling to land a reliable WR2 as well. This year, however, the team has other options in recent Day 2 draftees Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell. Downs joined Pittman in not practicing Wednesday, with a toe injury sidelining the second-year player. More of a deep threat compared to Pittman, Pierce leads the Colts with 368 receiving yards. The Colts will need to rely on the third-year playmaker more without their high-priced top target.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/8/24

October 8th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s taxi squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OL Matthew Cindric

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Fleming saw time with Denver across each of the past three seasons. The 32-year-old alternated between right and left tackle during that span, and he remained on the team’s radar given his workout in September. Now Fleming, a veteran of 117 games and 62 starts, will be an option to handle a depth role along the O-line once he is elevated to the Broncos’ active roster.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/8/24

October 8th, 2024 at 7:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tuesday’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Tennessee Titans

Kirkland is out for the season due to a biceps tear, head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday. That injury resulted in the addition of Andrew Stueber off Atlanta’s practice squad, a move which became official today. Kirkland, a former UDFA, made a pair of appearances this season, seeing sparse usage on offense and special teams.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/7/24

October 7th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Monday’s taxi squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Joe Flacco Only Received Offer From Colts?

October 7th, 2024 at 4:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Joe Flacco made his first Colts start on Sunday, and his performance carried over from his surprising run with the Browns last season. The 39-year-old passer’s Cleveland success did not lead to a strong free agent market, however.

After the Colts’ 37-34 loss, Flacco informed CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala the Colts were the only team which made an offer during the spring. A report from March indicated the Eagles had made an offer for the former Super Bowl MVP to return to Philadelphia. Flacco served as the Eagles’ backup for a brief stretch in 2021, but he did not see any game action.

Since then, he spent time with the Jets and Browns, taking over as Cleveland’s top option not long after he was merely added as veteran insurance under center. Deshaun Watson‘s season-ending shoulder injury eventually resulted in Flacco making five starts at the end of the campaign. He averaged 323 passing yards per game during that stretch, throwing 13 touchdowns. The longtime Ravens starter wanted to remain in Cleveland for the current season as part of his goal of playing for the next two years. As was recently confirmed, though, the Browns did not make an offer to Flacco.

Cleveland has Watson on the books through 2026, and despite his struggles he will remain atop the depth chart. Jameis Winston was added to fill the role of veteran backup, a decision which left Flacco free to move on. The latter took a one-year, $4.5MM pact to head to Indianapolis on the open market. The Colts were interested in retaining Gardner Minshew after he served as the team’s starter for much of last season, but he received a more lucrative deal from the Raiders than Indianapolis was prepared to offer.

When taking into account Flacco’s relief performance in Week 4 following Anthony Richardson‘s hip injury, he has amassed five touchdowns without an interceptions along with a 70% completion percentage. Flacco has averaged nearly nine yards per attempt and posted a 115.6 passer rating during that brief stretch. Continuing that impressive output would not be expected over an extended period, and Richardson could be back to full health in time for Week 6.

Last year’s No. 4 pick has struggled to date, but he will retain starting duties once healthy. If Flacco is called upon again, though, he could continue to guide the team’s offense effectively and help his 2025 market value in the process.

Colts Waive CB Dallis Flowers

October 7th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Part of a competition to commandeer one of the Colts’ outside cornerback jobs this offseason, Dallis Flowers has fallen out of favor with the team’s coaching staff. The backup corner has tumbled far since losing that summer position battle.

The Colts waived Flowers on Monday and opened up another roster spot by placing guard Will Fries on IR. A starting guard, Fries is set for leg surgery after being carted off during Indianapolis’ latest loss in Jacksonville.

These moves leave the Colts with some roster calls to make, as this move leaves them with only three boundary corners — leaving slot bastion Kenny Moore out of this equation — on the 53-man squad. Gus Bradley‘s defense ranks 29th against the pass.

Flowers started all four games he played for the Colts last season, before an injury shut him down. A JuJu Brents injury impacted the Colts’ CB group in Week 1; the 2023 second-round pick is out for the season. Flowers, a 2022 UDFA, had competed with 2023 seventh-rounder Jaylon Jones to start opposite Brents. Jones won the competition, and among the Colts’ top three boundary corners going into camp, he is now the last man standing.

This Flowers cut comes after he was involved in Brian Thomas Jr.‘s 85-yard touchdown reception in the Jaguars’ 37-34 win. Flowers has played 89 defensive snaps thus far this season. Flowers came to the Colts as a former Division II and NAIA standout, but he now represents the second multiyear Indianapolis CB contributor cut since the team finalized its 53-man roster in late August. Indy waived Darrell Baker to make room for a subsequent Samuel Womack waiver claim. Baker is now with the Titans.

Facing criticism for showing too much faith in their roster this offseason, the Colts resisted outside calls to add at cornerback. They did not draft one, keeping the Brents-Jones-Flowers-Baker setup in place. Three of those cogs are out of the picture now, with veteran Chris Lammons now playing a key role behind Jones and Womack. The August waiver claim moved into the starting lineup following Brents’ injury; Pro Football Focus has viewed the ex-49er’s Indianapolis start well, ranking him sixth at the position. Four corners, including former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph, are on the Colts’ practice squad.

Colts G Will Fries To Undergo Leg Surgery

October 6th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Will Fries was carted off the field during the Colts’ Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. A long-term absence is in store for the fourth-year guard as a result.

Fries is set to undergo surgery tonight in a Jacksonville hospital, as noted by Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. No immediate prognosis is in place, but the severity of the ailment – a tibia fracture in his right leg – is clear. A move to injured reserve should be expected, and it will be interesting to see if Fries will be able to return at some point late in the year.

The 26-year-old’s absence (regardless of how long it winds up being) will be acutely felt up front for the Colts. Fries made only three appearances during his rookie season, but he made nine starts the following year and took on a permanent first-team role in 2023. Last year resulted in another career-best PFF grade, and he landed the 32nd-best evaluation for guards.

Through the early portion of the current campaign, Fries has exceled in the ground game in particular. The former seventh-rounder entered Week 5 as PFF’s second-highest rated guard, and continuing that strong play would have been key for him individually and the Colts as a team. As a pending free agent, today’s injury threatens to hinder Fries’ market value on a second Indianapolis contract – something which could be challenging to afford given the investment already made in fellow guard Quenton Nelson – or one sending him to a new team.

The Colts were already without center Ryan Kelly for Sunday’s contest, and losing Fries thrust another inexperienced blocker into the mix. Dalton Tucker, an undrafted rookie, took over at right guard in place of the Penn State product, and he could occupy a starting role for the foreseeable future. The outcome of Fries’ surgery and his prognosis will be worth watching for closely.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 7:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s gameday elevations and other minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Mariota returned to practice on Wednesday, which was the earliest point at which he could be designated for return. As a result, it comes as little surprise he has been brought back onto Washington’s active roster. The 30-year-old is in his first season with the Commanders, and today’s move paves the way for him to handle backup duties moving forward.

Ngakoue remained on the free agent market into the start of the regular season. He was not connected to a Ravens reunion, but one took place last week. The journeyman sack artist had a brief spell with Baltimore in 2020, and he posted three sacks in 11 games. Ngakoue, 29, had one-and done campaigns in Vegas, Indianapolis and Chicago before taking a Ravens practice squad deal. He will make his debut tomorrow and aim to provide depth along the edge.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Oblique, Abdominal Strains, Uncertain To Play In Week 5

October 5th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 5: After practicing on a limited basis during the week, Richardson was initially listed as questionable. He was downgraded to doubtful on Saturday, however, suggesting Flacco will be in line to make his first start since signing with Indianapolis.

SEPTEMBER 30: Anthony Richardson was forced out of yesterday’s game with a hip injury, but there’s a chance the Colts quarterback doesn’t even miss Week 5. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Richardson was diagnosed with oblique and abdominal strains, and the QB has “a shot to play” on Sunday against the Jaguars.

[RELATED: Colts’ Anthony Richardson Leaves Game With Injury]

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoes this report, noting that Richardson’s injury isn’t believed to be serious. In fact, Rapoport says the quarterback likely would have returned to the game had it been the playoffs or a crucial, late-season contest. We heard something similar yesterday, as Richardson told reporters that he attempted to return to the contest again but was overruled by head coach Shane Steichen.

Richardson suffered his injury during the second drive of yesterday’s game. The former fourth-overall pick was only sidelined for a pair of plays before returning to the contest. The quarterback took another shot on the subsequent snap, knocking him out of the contest for good.

Despite Richardson’s inconsistent play to begin the 2024 campaign, Colts fans have surely been holding their breath over the past 24 hours. Richardson was limited to only four games as a rookie. He first missed a game due to a concussion, and he later suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Richardson was dynamic in his return to the field in Week 1 of this season, tossing a pair of touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. However, between Week 2 and Week 3, he completed only 50 percent of his passes while tossing five interceptions.

Fortunately for the Colts, the team has one of the top contingency plans in veteran Joe Flacco. The 39-year-old made his season debut in relief of Richardson yesterday, completing 16 of his 26 pass attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a Colts victory.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/5/24

October 5th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s taxi squad moves:

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Boyle was released on Friday, but the team announced today he has been re-signed. In addition, Boyle has been elevated for tomorrow’s contest, meaning he will dress as one of the Dolphins’ quarterback options behind Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson. The return of Tua Tagovailoa will push Boyle, 30, further down the depth chart.

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