Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is listed as questionable with a calf injury for the Monday night matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
While there is a chance the veteran wide receiver makes his return after suffering a setback with the nagging calf injury, the only way he will be on the field for the primetime matchup is if he is 100% healthy.
Head coach Frank Reich said Saturday that he appreciates Hilton’s desire to play, but they want to be safe.
“We kind of been down this road before and he wasn’t there. I know it’s T.Y. (Hilton) but we just want to feel good about it,” Reich said to reporters. “We just want to do the right thing, make sure that he feels right and that we feel like he’s good.”
Hilton has done this before. In Week 4 against the Falcons, he tried to play through a groin injury and wound up re-aggravating it just before halftime. Though, he had already recorded 65 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury.
Then, Hilton suffered the calf injury in practice before the game against the Steelers in Week 9. He tried to come back just a few weeks later and suffered a setback again before the Titans game in Week 13.
The Colts will need all the help they can get with their season officially on the line Monday night. But, they are making sure he is fully healthy before risking re-injury.
“He’s a warrior. He’s got good work in this week. So I’m not saying that it’s out of the question at all,” Reich said. “I mean for the limited reps that he took, it was solid. It’s a Monday night game so we have a little bit of time. So maybe we can get there.”
Hilton hasn’t been able to get in a groove without dealing with an injury this season. If the calf doesn’t improve, his 2019 campaign could end early, especially if the Colts are eliminated with a loss on Monday night.
Regardless of his competitive desire to play through the pain, the Colts are going to make sure Hilton is perfectly healthy before running him back out there.