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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor Ruled Out, Expected To Avoid IR

November 4th, 2022 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

For the third time this season, Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor will be held out of action for the weekend, according to Mike Chappell of Fox59. The absence of Taylor will pave the way for Deon Jackson to make his second start of the season.

After an awe-inducing sophomore season in which he led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns, Taylor’s third year in the league has not gone according to plan. He started off hot with a 161-yard day in the team’s season-opening tie with the Texans but quickly cooled off as the offense dealt with growing pains and he dealt with an ankle injury.

Th ankle injury would force Taylor to miss two straight games in October. In his second game back from the injury absence, Taylor aggravated the right ankle during a loss to the Commanders. The injury that has already caused him to miss two games already could continue to hurt the Colts. Despite ruling Taylor out for this game, head coach Frank Reich has no plans to place him on injured reserve, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic. The injury appears to be a week-to-week issue that the Colts want flexibility in dealing with for now.

With Taylor out, Jackson will get another chance to lead the Colts’ rushing attack. In two weeks without Taylor so far this year, Jackson has earned a combined 104 rushing yards and a touchdown, adding 14 catches for 108 yards through the air. The offense stands to look a bit different with Sam Ehlinger playing quarterback in place of Matt Ryan, but Jackson still figures to earn the lion’s share of the carries.

Although the Colts were able to acquire former Bills running back Zack Moss when trading away Nyheim Hines, Moss has only been with the team a couple of days and likely won’t have a very good grasp of the offense. Indianapolis is expected to elevate practice squad running back Phillip Lindsay for Sunday’s matchup in Foxborough, as they did the previous two games without Taylor. Lindsay contributed in his Colts debut with 11 carries for 40 yards but was relegated to a lesser role the following week, only carrying the ball three times for seven yards.

Giving Moss more time to practice and learn the offense may eventually dull the need for Lindsay, but for now, the Colts’ rushing offense will rely on the legs of Jackson and Lindsay as long as Taylor is out. As long as Taylor remains a week-to-week case, this will continue to be the gameplan.

Commanders HC Ron Rivera Refused To Trade RB Antonio Gibson

November 4th, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Ely Allen

As the trade deadline came and went, several teams seeking help at running back reached out to the Commanders, according to Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. Despite “significant interest” in running back Antonio Gibson, head coach Ron Rivera reportedly refused to trade him.

Gibson is currently halfway through his third season in the NFL as well as his third season leading Washington in rushing yards. Gibson came in as a rookie third-round pick out of Memphis and immediately earned the starting job in Washington over Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic. He pieced together an impressive rookie season with 795 rushing yards, averaging 4.68 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns. A year later, Gibson took the mantle as a bell-cow back for the Football Team, backed up by the likes of McKissic, Jaret Patterson, Jonathan Williams, and Wendell Smallwood. Given over 54% of the carries, Gibson racked up 1,037 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns.

The Commanders then drafted another third-round pick in Alabama running back Brian Robinson. Through camp many expected Robinson to earn the starting job over the more experienced Gibson. Gunshot wounds from an attempted robbery put an end to that discussion, putting Robinson on the non-football injury list to begin his rookie season.

Gibson returned to the starting role to begin the 2022 season. Washington went back to its formula from the year before of splitting snaps between Gibson and McKissic right down the middle but still giving the majority of the carries to Gibson. Robinson made his swift return to the field in Week 5 in a limited role before taking snaps as the lead back the following two weeks.

The entire Commanders’ rushing attack was extremely quiet in a Week 8 win over the Colts last week that saw quarterback Taylor Heinicke and wide receiver Curtis Samuel tie for the team-lead in rushing yards with 29. While the game didn’t appear to be much of a success for Washington’s running backs, it did provide a bit of clarity on how the room shakes out.

Robinson is clearly the power back. He seems to be the first one to have his number called, as well, but he will absolutely be the one used in short-yardage and goal-line situations as well as situations when the Commanders have a lead to protect. Gibson is the primary backup. Not only will he be the first man off the bench when Robinson needs a breather, but he will also be the preferred option on passing plays as an option out of the backfield. McKissic slots in as the third-stringer and a secondary pass catching option with Williams behind him.

Regardless, the news about Rivera’s reaction to calls about Gibson says one of two things: either Rivera is passionate about the role Gibson holds in the Commanders’ future or Rivera still has some question marks about Robinson’s abilities. For now, Gibson remains a Commander, with one year after this season remaining on his contract. Look for whether or not Washington rewards Gibson with an extension this offseason. If so, they clearly have eyes towards his future. If not, they may be planning to wait and see how Robinson develops.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/22

November 2nd, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Colts To Trade RB Nyheim Hines To Bills

November 1st, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills will beat the buzzer by acquiring a running back. Nyheim Hines is Buffalo-bound, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Colts passing-down back/return man surfaced in trade rumors Monday night and will join a 6-1 Bills team.

Hines will head to Buffalo in a package that includes Zack Moss going to Indianapolis. The Bills are trading Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Hines, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moss is signed through 2023.

This move comes after Buffalo was involved in talks for both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. While Hines is not on that level, he has been a longtime Colts complementary piece. After signing an Indianapolis extension last year, Hines is signed through 2024. Momentum began to build toward a Hines deal earlier Tuesday, and his three-year, $18MM pact will change hands.

A part of the Colts’ impact 2018 draft class, Hines has been the team’s passing-down back supplementing both Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, catching at least 40 passes in each of his four full seasons. Hines topped 60 receptions in 2018 and 2020, displaying rare durability at his position. Hines has missed just one game as a pro.

Buffalo’s backfield equation changed in the spring, when a J.D. McKissic agreement did not lead to a finalized contract. McKissic reneged on the deal and went back to Washington. The Bills then drafted James Cook in Round 2 this year. Cook had overtaken Moss as the AFC East leaders’ No. 2 back. It will be interesting to see how the Bills use Cook now that Hines is in this Devin Singletary-fronted mix.

Hines, who turns 26 next week, has also worked as Indy’s punt returner since his second season. The North Carolina State product produced two punt-return touchdowns in that 2019 campaign. As they gun for their first championship since the AFL days, the Bills are undoubtedly planning to take advantage of Hines’ versatility. Hines has 19 career touchdowns, with a career-high seven coming in 2020.

The Bills inquired about McCaffrey this offseason and could have outflanked the 49ers by offering a first-round pick. But Buffalo viewed a first as too rich for the ex-Carolina star and did not make an offer. The team asked the Saints about Kamara recently, but New Orleans — which has not otherwise been linked to trading the five-time Pro Bowler — rebuffed that inquiry. Hines could be a nice consolation prize.

This does qualify as a seller trade for the Colts, but they have underperformed to start the season and are now breaking in another new quarterback (Sam Ehlinger). Moss will be part of the team’s Jonathan Taylor backup crew. The Bills took Moss in the 2020 second round and used him extensively during the first season and change of his career. The Utah product backed up Singletary primarily, totaling 1,118 scrimmage yards over his first two seasons. But Singletary received most of the backfield work down the stretch last season for the pass-first squad. Cook’s arrival further reduced Moss’ role this season. He will attempt to rebound as a Taylor backup.

Latest On Colts’ Nyheim Hines Trade Interest

November 1st, 2022 at 10:43am CST by Adam La Rose

The list of veteran running backs who could be on the move in advance of the trade deadline grew yesterday, when it came out that Nyheim Hines is drawing interest. Tuesday has seen conflicting reports with respect to the likelihood that he will be moved.

[RELATED: Colts Fire OC Marcus Brady]

Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star reports that the Colts are not shopping the 25-year-old. To little surprise, then, he adds that the team would need to receive a “significant” return to consider moving him. Hines signed a three-year, $18MM extension this offseason, allowing him to remain a pass-catching compliment to workhorse back Jonathan Taylor while also contributing on special teams.

On the other hand, ESPN’s Stephen Holder tweeted last night that signs are pointing to the Colts finding a suitable trade partner for the NC State alum. Zak Keefer of The Athletic adds that “at this point, it’s a when, not an if” regarding Hines being traded (Twitter link).

Indianapolis currently sits at 3-4-1 on the season, one which has seen the offense fail to live up to expectations. That has resulted in a change at quarterback (from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger), but the run game has played a key role in the unit’s overall struggles; the Colts rank 29th in the league with an average of less than 88 yards per game on the ground. The performance of UDFA Deon Jackson – who filled in for Taylor and Hines earlier in the year when they were injured – could play a role in the Colts’ willingness to part ways with the latter.

PFF’s Doug Kyed reports that a pair of “top teams” have shown interest in acquiring Hines. One of those could be the Eagles, who Kyed adds have previously had the former fourth-rounder on their radar. Philadelphia has already been attached to two names at the position, making an offer for Christian McCaffrey and being named yesterday as a suitor for Kareem Hunt. The presence of head coach Nick Sirianni, who had previously served as the Colts’ offensive coordinator, could be a factor in this situation.

The Eagles, and all other contenders, have just over four hours to finalize deals which would see them add valuable insurance in the backfield and elsewhere for the second half of the campaign and the postseason.

Colts Fire OC Marcus Brady

November 1st, 2022 at 9:29am CST by Adam La Rose

Midway through a season rife with underwhelming play on the offensive side of the ball, the Colts have made a significant move on the sidelines. The team announced on Tuesday that they have fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.

The 43-year-old joined the Colts’ staff in 2018, following a playing and coaching career in the CFL. He served as Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach that season, being promoted to the same, full-time role one year later. That made him a key member of the team’s staff as their search for a long-term Andrew Luck successor saw them turn to Jacoby Brissett and Philip Rivers.

Last January, after Nick Sirianni departed for the Eagles’ head coaching gig, Brady was promoted to OC as his replacement. Colts HC Frank Reich retained play-calling duties, but the move nevertheless marked another increase in Brady’s influence on the unit. After last year’s one-season experiment with Carson Wentz ended with a playoff absence, he was tasked with transitioning to yet another new signal-caller, this time Matt Ryan.

The latter’s immense struggles to begin his Colts tenure resulted in his being benched for the remainder of the campaign, however. The move away from Ryan in favor of 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger was directed by owner Jim Irsay, something which raised questions about Reich’s job status. Today’s news marks the second straight week where a major move has been made in an attempt to right the ship on offense for a team which entered the season with high expectations.

Ehlinger made a reasonable NFL debut during the team’s 17-16 loss to the Commanders, but the unit as a whole has lacked consistency and struggled with turnovers. That has resulted in a 3-4-1 record, a new signal-caller, and now, a new OC. Attention will be turned even more to Reich and his ability to guide the offense through this latest change.

“This was an incredibly hard decision, but one I felt needed to be made in the best interest of the team,” Reich said in a statement. “I appreciate Marcus’ commitment to the organization, and he made a significant contribution to our offensive success over the last five seasons. I wish him the best moving forward.”

Injury Updates: Eichenberg, Smith, Parker, Moore, Bellinger

October 31st, 2022 at 9:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Dolphins guard Liam Eichenberg was carted off the field in this Sunday’s trip to Detroit. The injury isn’t as serious as initially feared, but it appears Eichenberg has suffered an MCL injury and will miss some time, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Miami will have options to replace Eichenberg. Michael Deiter started eight games at center last year for the Dolphins and 15 games at Eichenberg’s left guard position in 2019. Brandon Shell and Greg Little are also options with plenty of starting experience, albeit at tackle. Robert Jones is also an option after starting a game last year.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Vikings are expected to be down another tight end after Irv Smith suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. With Ben Ellefson on injured reserve, Minnesota will have to rely on veteran Johnny Mundt who came over from Los Angeles in the offseason. Mundt has had limited targets this year with Minnesota’s litany of talented pass catchers, but his 12 receptions are already more than he had during his five years with the Rams. The Vikings will also likely explore the option of signing one of its two practice squad tight ends, Jacob Hollister and Nick Muse.
  • After suffering a knee sprain on the first play of the Patriots’ win over the Jets this weekend, wide receiver DeVante Parker is not expected to miss extended time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport reports that if he does miss time, it should only be one game, especially since New England has a bye after next Sunday’s contest against the Colts. He should definitely be back in time for a rematch with the Jets in Week 11.
  • Colts cornerback Kenny Moore suffered a right hand sprain in practice last week, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. As Boyd inquired about the injury, Moore revealed that he has also been playing with a torn ligament in his left hand since the start of the season. Neither injury is expected to hold Moore out of any games, but this interview offered a glimpse into what Moore has been playing through this year.
  • After a gruesome freak accident that saw Jaguars rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd strike Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger directly in the eye on a whiffed attempt to punch the ball out, Bellinger reportedly “underwent successful surgery to correct fractures on (the) lower window of (his) eye socket and damage to (his) septum,” according to Fowler. Bellinger hopes to return in two to six weeks, but other sources indicate that four to six weeks is a much more reasonable timeline.

Colts Receiving Calls On RB Nyheim Hines

October 31st, 2022 at 8:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts made it pretty clear that they were focused on the future when they replaced Matt Ryan with second-year QB Sam Ehlinger. It didn’t take long for rival squads to start sniffing around at some of Indy’s available players. One player that’s drawn interest is Nyheim Hines, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting (on Twitter) that teams have inquired about the offensive weapon’s availability.

Hines has had a consistent role on the Colts offense since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in 2018. The running back topped 500 yards from scrimmage in each of his first four NFL seasons, including a 2020 campaign where he finished with 862 offensive yards and seven touchdowns. In seven games this season, Hines has collected 224 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown, and he’s returned 11 punts for 111 yards.

Jonathan Taylor‘s emergence over the past two years meant Hines was eyeing a future backup role with the organization. He still inked a three-year, $18MM extension with the Colts last September, and the team has managed to keep him active in the passing game and on special teams.

The Colts could be inclined to move on from the 25-year-old thanks to the recent emergence of Deon Jackson. The 2021 UDFA out of Duke proved to be more-than-capable when he had a significant role with Taylor and Hines sidelined. In Week 5 and Week 6, Jackson collected 104 rushing yards on 25 carries, and he added another 108 receiving yards on 14 receptions. On the flip side, if the Colts are worried that Taylor’s struggles this season aren’t an anomaly, they may want to keep as much RB depth as possible.

Inquiring teams could be eyeing Hines as a third-down RB and/or a ST option. Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus tweets that Hines has drawn trade interest in the past, although he cautions that there are “more running backs available than teams that need running backs.”

Colts DE Tyquan Lewis Done For Season

October 31st, 2022 at 5:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Tyquan Lewis is done for the season. The Colts defensive end ruptured his patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the campaign, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star (on Twitter). The Colts placed Lewis on injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).

Lewis was carted off the field during the fourth quarter of yesterday’s loss to the Commanders. The injury came nearly one year after Lewis suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his other knee, ending his 2021 season prematurely.

“Our hearts go out to Tyquan,” said head coach Frank Reich (via the team’s website). “He was having a great year. … We’ll support him every step of the way.”

Lewis came off the bench to begin the season, but he started each of Indy’s last four games. In seven appearances this year, the 27-year-old defensive lineman collected 14 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus ranked him 93rd among 116 qualifying edge defenders in 2022, but the site graded him much more favorably in 2021 (31 of 110). Lewis inked a one-year deal to stay with the Colts this past offseason and will hit free agency following the season.

To fill the open roster spot, the Colts activated safety Trevor Denbow from injured reserve, per Wilson. The undrafted rookie made the roster out of preseason, and there’s hope that he can develop into one of Indy’s key special team gunners. He landed on IR right before Week 1 and was designated to return last week.

Latest On Colts HC Frank Reich, GM Chris Ballard

October 30th, 2022 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

An owner-imposed quarterback change is generally not a good omen for a head coach or general manager, and Colts owner Jim Irsay‘s recent mandate that Indianapolis bench offseason trade acquisition Matt Ryan for 2021 sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger has led to speculation that HC Frank Reich and GM Chris Ballard could be on the hot seat. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears from multiple sources that Reich is safe and that his job is not at all in jeopardy.

It seems Reich has done enough to merit additional time as the club’s sideline general. The Colts hastily pivoted to Reich after being jilted by Josh McDaniels during the 2018 coaching cycle, and under Reich’s watch, Indy has compiled a 40-30-1 regular season record. The only year in which the team did not post an above-.500 record was in 2019, when Andrew Luck unexpectedly retired weeks before the regular season got underway.

On the other hand, the Colts’ collapse in the final two weeks of the 2021 campaign — which featured a Week 18 loss to the 2-14 Jaguars to eliminate the team from the postseason field — is a black mark on Reich’s resume (though former QB Carson Wentz has shouldered plenty of blame for that disappointment as well). The fact that Indianapolis has not won a eminently-winnable division during Reich’s tenure is also working against him.

Of course, the team has been slapping duct tape on its quarterback situation since Luck’s retirement, and while 2020 signal-caller Philip Rivers led the Colts to a playoff berth, the subsequent additions of Wentz and Ryan did not go as well. It would hardly be fair to blame Reich for QB development when the QBs he has had to work with have been near the ends of their careers or otherwise became expendable in the eyes of their prior clubs. Instead, the growth of Ehlinger over the remainder of the season may be more reflective of Reich’s acumen.

It may not even be fair to lay the blame for the QB carousel at Ballard’s feet, as Irsay is more involved when it comes to his franchise’s signal- callers than he is with other aspects of roster construction. Indeed, Ryan’s health and injury guarantees for 2023 may have been a factor in his Irsay-led demotion, and Irsay spearheaded this offseason’s Wentz trade as well.

Nonetheless, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports believes the seats are warming for Reich and Ballard, and he spoke with one AFC executive who said, “I’m concerned for them. They’re already being questioned about how they evaluate quarterbacks, and if [Ehlinger] comes in there and doesn’t play well, it’ll reflect poorly.”

Irsay himself has responded to the speculation in an emphatic way. He said he has given no thought to moving on from either his head coach or GM, and he added, “I’m in a great spot with Chris and Frank. We’re all re-energized with the move to Sam Ehlinger. Nothing is easy but [I] feel really good” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Chris Mortensen).

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