The Indianapolis Colts placed punter Ryan Allen on the protected practice squad, per the league’s transaction wire.
This is the second time in as many weeks that the Colts have placed Allen on the protected list. Even though Rigoberto Sanchez is still on the active roster, he hasn’t been able to practice lately, and the Colts have been keeping Allen on the practice squad while calling him up before gameday.
However, they may not have to do that much longer. There is a chance Sanchez returns to practice this week—that’s the Colts’ hope at least—despite undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor at the beginning of the month.
It isn’t clear if Sanchez will be able to play on Sunday against the Houston Texans and in the event he doesn’t, the Colts want to feel protected with Allen in order to avoid being without a punter on Sunday.