Indianapolis Colts’ wide receiver Michael Pittman and offensive lineman Braden Smith did not practice on Friday after being available on both Wednesday and Thursday.
According to head coach Shane Steichen, both are banged up but they are expected to play. Pittman is dealing with a back and calf injury and Smith with knee soreness, according to The Athletic’s James Boyd.
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After dealing with injuries last season, Smith had offseason knee surgery. We do knot know if it’s the same knee that he is experiencing soreness with.
Through two games, Smith is playing at a high level. In ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, Smith ranks 19th among all offensive tackles. In their run-blocking win rate metric, he ranks eighth. Collectively, the offensive line has been a bright spot for this Colts team.
For Pittman, it’s been a quiet start to the season. He’s been targeted 14 times, catching just seven of those passes for 52 yards–or just 7.4 yards per catch–with no touchdowns. He’s also been credited with a drop by PFF and has caught only 1-of-5 contested catch opportunities.
Laiatu Latu was back at practice today after missing the previous two days. Julian Blackmon, Matt Gay, Josh Downs, Kenny Moore, and Rodney Thomas were all full participants on Thursday.
The Colts will release their final injury report with designations on Friday afternoon.