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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Hunter, Manziel, Pettine, Luck

November 15th, 2015 at 4:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Congratulations are in order for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who, with a four-yard pass to running back Ronnie Hillman, leaped Brett Favre and took hold of the NFL’s passing yardage record with 71,840 yards (and counting). It’s been a trying season at times for Manning — in fact, he threw an interception to begin today’s contest — but the future Hall of Famer earned some deserved recognition from the crowd following today’s accomplishment.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC:

  • Titans receiver Justin Hunter had to be carted off the field during today’s game against the Panthers, and head coach Mike Mularkey said the injury is “not good,” per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link), who adds that Hunter has a cast on his right leg and is using crutches (link). Dr. David Chao of SiriusXM tweeted that the injury looks like a leg/ankle fracture, and postulated that Hunter will likely miss the remainder of the season.
  • Due to an injury to Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel started at quarterback for the Browns today, completing 33 of 45 attempts for 372 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 30-9 loss to the Steelers. However, head coach Mike Pettine‘s refusal to commit to Manziel full-time could be Pettine’s undoing, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. Per La Canfora, there is “sweeping support” for Manziel throughout the organization, from ownership to the front office to the coaching staff. By continuing to stick with McCown, says La Canfora, Pettine is putting his job at risk. Meanwhile, owner Jimmy Haslam told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) that there will not be any coaching changes during Cleveland’s upcoming bye.
  • The NFL is still conducting its investigation into the Colts failure to report Andrew Luck‘s rib ailment on their injury report, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Indianapolis is expected to argue that it wasn’t necessary to include Luck’s rib injury given that it was actually a shoulder problem that kept him out of game action.

Sunday Roundup: O’Brien, Harbaugh, Lacy

November 15th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

As the early Week 10 games get underway, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Texans owner Bob McNair is understandably disappointed with his club’s performance this year under second-year head coach Bill O’Brien, and rumors persist that O’Brien could be on his way out at the end of the season while GM Rick Smith, long a McNair favorite, could stay in Houston. If that happens, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that O’Brien is “very intrigued” by the head coaching job at the University of Maryland, which is a more attractive position than some outsiders may realize. O’Brien fits Maryland’s criteria–a relatively young offensive mind who can run a quality pro-style offense–and he previously served as an assistant coach with the Terrapins. Current Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is also reportedly interested in the job.
  • Although it was expected that Texans TE Ryan Griffin would play this week, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports that the team did not activate Griffin from the Injured Reserve-Designated To Return list before a Saturday afternoon deadline, meaning he will have to wait until next week to get back into game action. As Wilson writes, Griffin has recovered from a sprained MCL suffered during the season-opener against Kansas City, but he is still working his way back into football shape.
  • After Michigan’s narrow win over Indiana last night, an Indiana-based reporter began to ask Wolverines head coach–and former Colts quarterback–Jim Harbaugh if he would have any interest in the Colts head coaching position should it become available at the end of the season, as is widely expected. Per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, Harbaugh did not allow the reporter to finish the question, saying simply, “Stop. Just stop yourself. No comment.” 
  • Eddie Lacy was a surprise entry on the Packers‘ inactive list today, but he has disappointed all season. Some of Lacy’s struggles can be attributed to injury, some to poor blocking, and some to Lacy’s physical condition (he is noticeably heavier than last year). As Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com writes, Lacy is facing a crossroads in his young career, and Green Bay hopes that the emergence of James Starks, coupled with Lacy’s difficulties, will spur the latter back to his previous level of success.
  • Mark Kiszla and Troy Renck of The Denver Post debate whether the Broncos should give backup quarterback Brock Osweiler some snaps down the stretch in order to preserve Peyton Manning for what will likely be his last playoff run. As long as a first-round bye is at stake, Osweiler will remain on the sidelines, unless the outcome of a particular game is no longer in doubt.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com breaks down the upcoming free agent and trade markets for quarterbacks.

Colts Claim Charlie Whitehurst Off Waivers

November 14th, 2015 at 9:50am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 9:50am: The team has officially announced the move.

THURSDAY, 3:31pm: Finally, the Colts have found themselves a backup quarterback in support of Matt Hasselbeck. The Colts have been awarded signal caller Charlie Whitehurst off waivers from the Titans, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

Whitehurst, a 10-year NFL veteran, served as Zach Mettenberger‘s backup when Marcus Mariota was sidelined, but with Mariota healthy and back in the No. 1 role, Whitehurst was third on the depth chart, rendering him non-essential for Tennessee. Now, he joins the Colts where he’ll hold the clipboard for Hasselbeck until Andrew Luck is able to return.

Whitehurst came to the Titans as a free agent prior to the 2014 season. At that time, he had just finished season No. 2 as Philip Rivers‘ backup in San Diego. He saw just 12 snaps in two games during the 2013 season and didn’t attempt a pass, but he does have notable experience from his time in Seattle, when he started some games during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/15

November 13th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Jets

South Notes: Campbell, A. Johnson, Panthers

November 12th, 2015 at 7:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts tried to get Jason Campbell to sign on as Matt Hasselbeck‘s temporary backup, but the veteran quarterback declined. In an interview with ESPN 980, Campbell explained that he’s busy pursuing other opportunities and spending time with his family.

“I’m trying to follow my university a little bit, trying to figure out what it is that I want to get into next as far as TV or radio,” Campbell said (via Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). “And the most important thing for me is just spending some family time. You’re playing football for so many years — you’re always gone, you’re always on the road, doing different things, and you never get a chance to spend that time with your family. And you look up, and 10 years have went by. Your nephews aren’t three no more; they’re 13. Your parents have gotten older. So the older you get, you seem to realize how much time is valuable, especially spending that time with the ones that you love.”

Even though Campbell is only 33 (34 next month), it sounds like there’s a chance he’ll never make a return to the NFL. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC South:

  • Andre Johnson was expected to be the Colts‘ No. 2 receiver behind T.Y. Hilton when he inked a three-year, $21MM deal in the offseason. So far, he hasn’t done much on the stat sheet, but the veteran isn’t the least bit upset about it, as Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. “I think now people are so caught up in fantasy football,” Johnson said. “We hear it all the time. [Fans] get upset with you when you don’t catch a pass. People can say whatever they want or feel however they want to feel. I sleep good at night. I’m not really caught up with people have to say. I’ve had a great career. I’ve got a lot of passes and gained a lot of yards. I don’t really get caught up in what the outside people have to say.”
  • During an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio, longtime Indianapolis journalist Bob Kravitz expressed his belief that Nick Saban may be a top target for Colts owner Jim Irsay if the team decides to move on from Chuck Pagano in the coming months. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk has the details, along with the quotes from Kravitz.
  • The Panthers were panned by many for not taking a left tackle in the draft and instead signing Michael Oher in free agency. As David Newton of ESPN.com writes, even though Oher hasn’t been a world beater this season, he has done a solid job of doing what he was signed to do — protecting Cam Newton. Recently, coach Ron Rivera commented that Oher has brought stability to a position that has been in flux since Jordan Gross retired after the 2013 season. In Sunday’s win over Green Bay, Oher didn’t allow a pressure or a sack and got a positive grade of 2.0 for pass protection from Pro Football Focus.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/12/15

November 12th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s minor transactions from across the NFL:

  • The Raiders have waived safety Tevin McDonald, the team announced today in a press release. Although no corresponding move was provided, it appears McDonald’s release will pave the way for safety Nate Allen to be activated off IR-DTR within the next day or two.
  • The Jets added a third safety to their 53-man roster for tonight’s game by signing Ronald Martin from their practice squad, tweets Manish Mehta of the Daily News. To clear a spot for Martin, who will add a little depth to a banged-up secondary, New York has waived defensive lineman T.J. Barnes.
  • The Colts promoted linebacker Daniel Adongo from the practice squad to the active roster and cut running back Josh Robinson, the team announced today in a press release. With Frank Gore and Ahmad Bradshaw carrying the load in Indianapolis’ backfield, and Zurlon Tipton also around to provide depth, Robinson became expendable for the time being.
  • The Patriots made a small change to their active roster today, promoting linebacker Eric Martin from the practice squad and cutting safety Dewey McDonald to make room, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
  • After being waived-injured by the Cardinals yesterday, cornerback Cariel Brooks cleared waivers and landed on Arizona’s injured reserve list, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Colts Eyeing Jason Campbell

November 11th, 2015 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

2:22pm: Even with the Colts pushing to get Campbell to unretire, the veteran quarterback is “highly unlikely” to return to action this season, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, adding that Campbell could still make a comeback next year.

1:39pm: With Andrew Luck sidelined for the next few weeks, the Colts are considering their options for adding a quarterback to back up Matt Hasselbeck. According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the Colts’ search for a backup has the team attempting to lure free agent signal-caller Jason Campbell into unretiring. As the PFT report notes, Campbell played for the Browns the year that new Colts offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski was the team’s head coach.

Campbell, who turns 34 next month, was said to be planning on retirement back in June, but he never made the decision official. The veteran QB reportedly received inquiries from at least three teams in the summer, and got a call from the Cowboys when Tony Romo went down.

Over the course of his NFL career, Campbell has appeared in 90 games (79 starts) for Washington, Oakland, Chicago, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. He saw his most extensive action in D.C., where he started 52 contests for Washington after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2005 draft. Most recently, he backed up Andy Dalton with the Bengals in 2014.

While Campbell’s 32-47 career record as a starter isn’t overly impressive, his career stats – including a 60.3% completion percentage, an 81.7 passer rating, and 87 touchdowns to 60 interceptions – are respectable. For a Colts team vying to make the playoffs, he’d likely be a more reliable insurance policy than someone like practice squad quarterback Alex Tanney.

Andrew Luck Out Two To Six Weeks

November 11th, 2015 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 8:02am: The Colts are realistically expecting Luck to be out a month, and are preparing for an even longer absence, a league source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 2:05pm: Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will be sidelined for the next two to six weeks due to a lacerated kidney and a partial tear of an abdominal muscle, the team announced today. With Indianapolis heading into its bye week, Luck may not miss many games, but it’s still a significant blow for a club clinging to a half-game lead in the AFC South.

“It’s way too early to guess how long Andrew will be out,” Chuck Pagano said in a statement. “We’re going to keep listening to the doctors and evaluating his progress on a week by week basis. We’ve got all the confidence in the world in Matt Hasselbeck and we’re not going to put Andrew back out there until he’s healed and ready to go.”

It’s been a rough season so far for Luck, who was sidelined a shoulder injury earlier in the year and reportedly played with broken ribs in recent weeks. The former first overall pick has only won two of his seven starts, having completed just 55.3% of his passes, with 12 interceptions and a career-low 6.4 yards per attempt.

Sunday’s performance against the Broncos was a high point so far in 2015 for both the Colts and Luck, but that victory came at a price. According to Pagano, Luck sustained his injuries early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, meaning he was able to play through them in order to finish the game.

With Luck sidelined, and expected to recover without requiring surgery, Indianapolis will once again turn to Hasselbeck, who won both of his starts when he filled in for Luck in Weeks 4 and 5. If Luck is unable to return for six weeks, his 40-year-old backup would face the Falcons in Week 11, followed by the Buccaneers, Steelers, Jaguars, and Texans.

Colts Notes: Luck, Pagano, Hasselbeck

November 10th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Colts announced that quarterback Andrew Luck will be sidelined for the next two to six weeks due to a lacerated kidney and a partial tear of an abdominal muscle. The Colts know who the primary fill-in will be, but who will back up Matt Hasselbeck? Here’s more on that and other items out of Indianapolis..

  • The Colts are going to need another quarterback on the roster now that Luck is sidelined and Josh Johnson isn’t available for another tour of duty, Mike Florio of PFT writes. Right now, Hasselbeck is the only other QB on the 53-man roster, though they could promote Alex Tanney from the taxi squad. If they look out of house, options might include Ryan Mallett, Jason Campbell, and Rex Grossman. The Cowboys also released quarterback Kellen Moore on Tuesday night, so he might also be a consideration.
  • Colts management is still concerned with coach Chuck Pagano and his decision-making, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reports. The Colts topped the Broncos on Sunday, but a special teams mistake allowed Denver to return a punt for a touchdown at the end of the first half. Still, Pagano remains very popular with the players in the locker room.
  • Many are wondering when Luck will return to the Colts, but Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star is worried about the QB’s long-term future with the team. Luck could theoretically become a free agent as early as 2017, Doyel points out, though that doesn’t mean much as the Colts are armed with the franchise tag. Doyel’s concern is that the Colts have not been adequately protecting their franchise quarterback who has missed multiple games due to injury in 2015. From 2012-2014, when the offensive line was stronger overall, Luck was an iron man for Indianapolis.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/10/15

November 10th, 2015 at 4:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Saints have signed linebacker James Anderson, as Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune tweets. The Saints have been thin at linebacker recently, with injuries to strongside linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha (ankle), weakside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hip/groin), and backup Ramon Humber, so Anderson will provide additional depth for New Orleans. To make room for Anderson, the Saints have cut fellow linebacker Mike Mohamed, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Vikings announced that they have signed linebacker Jason Trusnik while placing fellow linebacker Audie Cole on IR. Trusnik, a former Division-III standout, was cut by the Panthers before the final trim down to a 53-man roster. He first broke into the league as a UDFA with the Jets in 2007. The Ohio native has played in 109 career games with 24 starts, tallying 146 total tackles, 4 PDs, 4 FRs and 1 FF in his first eight NFL seasons. Cole wasn’t a factor on the Vikings’ defense, but he was playing more than half of the club’s special teams snaps before fracturing his ankle.
  • The Giants announced that they have added defensive tackle Montori Hughes to the active roster while placing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins on IR. Hankins suffered a torn pectoral muscle over the weekend, ending his 2015 season prematurely. Hughes, who stands at 6’4″ and weighs 350 pounds, played in 16 games for the Colts between 2013 and 2014.
  • The Browns announced that they have activated defensive back Charles Gaines and running back Glenn Winston. Both players were previously sidelined with injuries.
  • The Buccaneers announced that they have signed safety Kimario McFadden, who played with them in the preseason. To make room for McFadden on the 53-man roster, the Buccaneers waived defensive end Lawrence Sidbury.
  • The Chargers announced that they have signed tight end Sean McGrath while waiving guard Craig Watts. McGrath briefly retired following his second season in 2013, a season in which he caught 26 balls for 302 yards and two touchdowns.
  • The Chiefs will promote safety Saalim Hakim from the practice squad, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • The Bears will promote wide receiver Deonte Thompson to the 53-man roster from the taxi squad, Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune tweets.
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