Colts Designate Parris Campbell For Return
Injuries have defined Parris Campbell‘s NFL career thus far. His latest, however, may not keep him out for the rest of this season. Campbell returned to practice Thursday, Colts owner Jim Irsay tweets.
A former second-round pick, Campbell has spent most of this season rehabbing from foot surgery. The Colts’ would-be slot receiver sustained the injury in Week 6, but it looks like he could meet the rehab timetable initially provided.
Campbell missed nine games as a rookie and was absent for 14 last season. He suffered a knee injury in September 2020 that knocked him out of his sophomore NFL campaign. While Campbell recovered from that PCL issue this offseason, he has missed nine more games due to the foot problem.
Prior to his latest setback, Campbell caught a 51-yard touchdown pass in the Colts’ Week 6 win over the Texans. The Ohio State product, if healthy, would stand to be a nice auxiliary weapon for Indianapolis.
Campbell’s health history obviously makes him a luxury target for the Colts. His injuries and T.Y. Hilton‘s expiring contract will make wide receiver a need for the Colts in 2022, but they will at least be a bit deeper at the position once Campbell suits up again this season.
Parris Campbell Undergoes Foot Surgery
A Colts second-round pick in 2019, Parris Campbell has been unable to stay healthy as a pro. The young wide receiver underwent another surgery Friday (Twitter link), one that will shelve him for a while.
Campbell suffered a foot injury during the Colts’ Week 6 win over the Texans, continuing a troublesome trend for the former Ohio State standout. It is not certain if this injury — like Campbell’s knee malady sustained in Week 2 of last season — will knock him out for the year, but he is back on IR and not in Indianapolis’ aerial equation for the foreseeable future.
The Colts are not shutting Campbell down for the season just yet, with Frank Reich indicating a two- to three-month rehab effort is on tap, via CBS4’s Mike Chappell (on Twitter). A late-December return, it appears, would be the best-case scenario. Campbell having a chance to play again this season may hinge on the Colts (2-4) being in contention in the AFC South.
This is obviously familiar territory for Campbell. In addition to the serious knee injury he encountered last season, he suffered a broken foot as a rookie and dealt with a hernia issue and a broken hand that year. Campbell played in seven games as a rookie and just two in 2020. This season, he suited up for five Colts contests and topped 50 receiving yards in each of the past two. He got there with one catch in Week 6, hauling in a 51-yard TD from Carson Wentz in Indy’s 31-3 victory.
The Colts have T.Y. Hilton back and still have Zach Pascal as an auxiliary pass catcher. They join blossoming talent Michael Pittman Jr. Hilton and Pascal are free agents after this season, while Campbell is signed through 2022. Though, his injury issues will likely prompt the Colts to make a significant receiver investment in the offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/21
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: P Ryan Winslow
- Placed on IR: WR Brandon Zylstra
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: S Deon Bush
- Promoted: S Teez Tabor
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: FB Nick Ralston
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Curtis Robinson, LB Barrington Wade
- Placed on IR: LB Andre Mintze
- Waived: WR David Moore
Houston Texans
- Signed off Raiders practice squad: OL Jimmy Morrissey
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: K Michael Badgley, NT Antwaun Woods
- Waived: QB Jacob Eason, DT Chris Williams
- Activated from IR: QB Sam Ehlinger
- Placed on IR: WR Parris Campbell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: OL Rashaad Coward
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Desmond Trufant
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Donte Deayon, RB Buddy Howell
- Placed on IR: RB Jake Funk, TE Johnny Mundt
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from reserve/injured: RB Kene Nwangwu
- Released: RB Ameer Abdullah
New York Giants
- Promoted: OT Korey Cunningham, WR Dante Pettis
- Placed on IR: WR C.J. Board
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Rashard Robinson
- Waived: G John Molchon
Tennessee Titans
- Activated: S Brady Breeze
- Placed on IR: WR Cam Batson, CB Caleb Farley (story)
- Waived: P Johnny Townsend
Colts WR Parris Campbell: ‘I’m 100 Percent’, Fully Cleared
Parris Campbell has had a tough time in the NFL since the Colts drafted him 59th overall in 2019. The Ohio State product is blazing fast and has flashed a lot of potential during his brief time on the field, but has been unable to stay healthy.
In his rookie season, he was limited to seven games due to a myriad of injuries, including a hernia, broken hand, and broken foot. This past season, he went down with a serious knee injury in Week 2 and never returned. That came on the heels of a promising Week 1 showing where he had six catches for 71 yards.
2021 is shaping up to be a make or break season for the third-year pro, and fortunately Campbell is saying he’s all systems go for the offseason. “I’m 100 percent,” Campbell said Wednesday, via Stephen Holder of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Campbell told reporters that he finally received full clearance from the medical staff this week. It wasn’t a torn ACL that sidelined him, but rather PCL and MCL injuries. Campbell also said that changing his jersey number to one was part of a hope for a fresh start.
The Colts didn’t add much at receiver this offseason and T.Y. Hilton will be 32 in November, so Campbell should have a big role if he can stay available. A healthy Campbell to go along with Hilton and second-year wideout Michael Pittman Jr. would make life a lot easier on Carson Wentz in his first year in Indy.
Colts Place Parris Campbell On IR
The Colts have placed wide receiver Parris Campbell on injured reserve with a PCL injury, per a club announcement. Campbell’s timetable for return is unclear, but he’ll miss at least three weeks per the league’s modified IR rules for 2020.
[RELATED: Colts’ Malik Hooker Suffers Torn Achilles]
Campbell went down in the first quarter of the Colts’ Week 2 contest against the Vikings and had to be carted off of the field. He did not return to the field, but he could return for the Colts before the year is through. It’ll all come down to whether Campbell gets surgery. If doctors determine that the ligament can heal on its own, Campbell might be able to come back.
The Colts had high hopes for the second-year slot receiver, especially after his 4.3-second 40-yard-dash speed was on full display in the season opener. Against the Jaguars, Campbell notched six catches for 71 yards, good for nearly 12 yards per grab. Now, the Colts will have to find inside help elsewhere. Running back Nyheim Hines could see some time as a receiver, but it might behoove the club to explore outside options.
Although Campbell has a chance to return, the same can’t be said for former first-round pick Malik Hooker. The safety is out for the year after suffering a torn Achilles, his latest in a line of serious injuries.
South Notes: Ngakoue, Benson, Campbell
A little over a week ago, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic reported that the Jaguars were on the verge of a deal that would ship disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue out of Jacksonville. Jags GM Dave Caldwell refuted the report, saying no trade involving Ngakoue is imminent.
But Lombardi has doubled down and insists a trade will happen soon (subscription required). He says Ngakoue is not motivated by money right now, he is motivated by a change of scenery, so he is not worried about missing game checks. According to Lombardi, if Ngakoue is not traded, he will not report until the 10th game of the season, the deadline for him to be able to count the 2020 season as an accredited year towards free agency. And at that point, the trade deadline will be in the rear-view mirror and the Jaguars will be left with nothing but a comp pick when Ngakoue signs elsewhere.
On the other hand, Lombardi’s second report linked above was published on August 21, and nothing has materialized on the Ngakoue front since then. It is, as ever, a situation to keep an eye on.
Now for more from the league’s south divisions:
- Saints owner Gayle Benson tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. Luckily, the 73-year-old was not hospitalized and is recovering at her New Orleans home. Benson is the second NFL owner to test positive, joining the Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill. Bidwill was hospitalized for his symptoms but appears to have made a full recovery, and it sounds as if Benson will do the same.
- Mike Chappell of Fox 59 reports that Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell is in the concussion protocol following a minor car accident earlier this week. Indianapolis nabbed the Ohio State speedster in the second round of last year’s draft, and after his rookie campaign was derailed due to injury, he was in the midst of a solid training camp this year. He is a roster lock, of course, but it’s unfortunate that his positive momentum has been slowed a bit.
- The Texans activated Gareon Conley from the PUP list earlier this month, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the 2017 first-rounder is progressing well from his offseason arthroscopic ankle surgery. Houston declined Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, so he will be eligible for free agency next year and could cash in with a strong platform campaign. However, Wilson says second-year pro Lonnie Johnson and Conley are neck-and-neck for a starting job, as Conley has been inconsistent since his return to the field.
- We learned earlier today that the Buccaneers are interested in extending longtime LB Lavonte David.
Colts Notes: Hines, Rivers, Buckner, DL
Even after drafting Jonathan Taylor in the second round to pair with Marlon Mack, the Colts say Nyheim Hines will continue to enjoy a meaningful role in the offense. Ideally, Hines says he’d also like to make a dent in the return game.
“I’d love to do punt and kick returns again,” Hines said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “But I’ve got to go out there and earn both of the jobs. That’s what I plan on doing. I’d like to start at both of them.”
Hines made a strong case for the job last year, tallying the third-highest punt-return yardage total in the league in just nine attempts. Still, he’ll have to vie with fellow speedsters Parris Campbell and Isaiah Rodgers for the gig this summer.
More from Indy:
- Philip Rivers has arrived in Indianapolis and has taken the lead role in organizing players-only workouts in the area, Stephen Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required). These workouts are expected to take place next week. Players are not expected to be back at their teams’ facilities until training camp, though some momentum may be building to an earlier arrival.
- Speaking of Rivers, his transition to the Colts will be easier than other relocating quarterbacks’ adjustments to their respective teams. While Tom Brady is learning a system that differs considerably from his Patriots setup, the Colts will use use essentially “the exact same system” as the one the Chargers used when Frank Reich and OC Nick Sirianni coached Rivers out west, Colts quarterbacks coach Marcus Brady said (via Colts.com’s Andrew Walker). They have installed roughly 90% of their offense already.
- The biggest name on Indianapolis’ defense, however, profiled as a fairly unknown commodity to the team’s defensive line coach. New Colts D-line coach Brian Baker spent the past four years as a college coach, working with Mississippi State and Alabama, but will now coach Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner. Baker evidently did not catch many 49ers games during that time. “I’ve been away from it for a while, and I didn’t really know who DeForest was,” Baker said, via Walker. “My energy was focusing on college players and recruiting. So I didn’t know who he was, and I’m like, ‘Who’s the big ‘ol 99? This dude can play. And I’m like, ‘Man, it’d be great …’ and you end up looking, ‘OK, DeForest Buckner,‘ like, ‘Man, it’d be good to get this guy.'”
- Buckner and Justin Houston will start for the Colts up front. But after that, competitions will commence to see who joins them, Baker added. Third-year defensive end Kemoko Turay appears to be the leading candidate to work opposite Houston. A starter at defensive tackle the past two years, Denico Autry will face off against ex-49ers starter Sheldon Day and third-year player Tyquan Lewis for the job alongside Buckner.
Colts Place Parris Campbell On IR
Parris Campbell has been placed on season-ending injured reserve with a broken foot, per a club announcement. This marks an early end to the wide receiver’s underwhelming rookie campaign.
[RELATED: Adam Vinatieri To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery]
Campbell, a speedy receiver out Ohio State, broke his foot early on in Sunday’s loss to the Bucs. The second-round pick finishes out the year with just 18 receptions for 121 yards in seven games. To his credit, he continued to play against Tampa Bay even after suffering the fracture.
Campbell led Ohio State in receiving yards (1,063) as a senior, becoming Dwayne Haskins‘ top target during the first-round pick’s lone season as the Buckeyes’ starter. Campbell also led Ohio State with 12 touchdown catches, slotting him ahead of fellow Day 2 pick Terry McLaurin. McLaurin, selected 17 spots later, has 46 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games for the Redskins.
At 6-7, the Colts are still technically alive in the playoff picture. They’ll fight for their paper thin chances this week against the 10-3 Saints, in New Orleans.
Extra Points: Colts, Dolphins, JPP, Broncos
The Colts are expecting Devin Funchess to return soon, but head coach Frank Reich didn’t want to say anything definitive when talking with reporters on Monday.
“Yeah, we’re gonna monitor him as we go,” Reich said (via Andrew Walker of the team’s website). “You know, we’ve already talked about his injury a bunch; I mean we’ve gotta make sure that thing’s 100 percent healed, so we’ll monitor it this week and see how it goes.”
Reich did note that wideout T.Y. Hilton didn’t suffer a setback with his calf injury during Thursday’s night loss to the Texans, and he also revealed that receiver Parris Campbell could return this week from a fractured hand. Running back Marlon Mack won’t play this weekend against the Titans, according to the head coach.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- The Dolphins will likely be on the hunt for wide receiver help, according to ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe (via Twitter). Jakeem Grant (ankle) and Albert Wilson (rib) both suffered injuries during Sunday’s loss to the Browns, leaving the team with only two healthy receivers in DeVante Parker and Allen Hurns. Head coach Brian Flores noted that he’s uncertain if Grant or Wilson would end up missing the rest of the season due to their injuries (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).
- Buccaneers linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul played 76-percent of his team’s defensive snaps this weekend, earning him another $600K. As Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets, the veteran has already earned $3MM in bonuses in five games, and he could earn another $3MM through his team’s final five games. Pierre-Paul has a $3MM base salary this season.
- Take this for what it’s worth, but Vic Fangio told reporters that Broncos quarterback Drew Lock could “possibly” be on the roster this Sunday and could “possibly” start vs. the Chargers (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post on Twitter). The second-round rookie has been on the IR since September, but he was designated to return earlier this month.
- Former NFL running back Karlos Williams has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, the team announced on Twitter. Williams ran for 517 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie, but he was later slapped with three separate suspensions. The 26-year-old was reinstated from his indefinite suspension last February, and he’s finally found his next gig.
Latest On Colts, Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri is in the midst of his worst NFL season, but the Colts aren’t planning on making a change. After the kicker shanked a potential game-winner during yesterday’s loss to the Steelers, coach Frank Reich told reporters that the Colts would be sticking with the 46-year-old.
“A lot of confidence, no plans to do anything different,” Reich said (via ESPN’s Mike Wells).
Reich even offered an explanation for the 43-yard kick that ended up sailing far left, noting that Vinatieri had to kick the ball with the laces facing him. While part of the blame could be placed on holder Rigoberto Sanchez, the veteran kicker noted that it was his job to convert the field goal attempt.
“I just missed it,” Vinatieri said. “I got to do better than that, just pulled it left.”
The future Hall-of-Famer has converted a career-low 70.6-percent of his field goal attempts (12-for-17) and 73.7-percent of his extra point attempts (14-for-19). There was some thought that Vinatieri could hang up his cleats following his early-season struggles, and the Colts ended up auditioning a number of free agent kickers. Considering we’re now in early November, there’s little chance the organization would look to make a change now.
While the Colts are struggling on special teams, the defense also took a hit today. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star tweets that rookie wideout Parris Campbell broke his hand. The second-rounder underwent a procedure, and the team won’t place him on the injured reserve right now.