Category: Latest Colts News

Colts rule out Anthony Castonzo, 3 others vs. Texans

4 players ruled out on Friday.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich ruled out four players on Friday ahead of the Week 13 matchup against the Houston Texans, including left tackle Anthony Castonzo.

Along with Castonzo, the Colts ruled out safety Khari Willis, linebacker Bobby Okereke and punter Rigoberto Sanchez.

None of the four players that were ruled out were able to log any type of practice this week. Castonzo is dealing with an MCL sprain and will be replaced by Le’Raven Clark at left tackle.

The Colts will release the injury report with designations later on Friday.

Justin Houston is Colts’ nominee for Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Colts put Justin Houston up for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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The Indianapolis Colts nominated veteran defensive end Justin Houston for the 2020 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, the team announced Thursday.

Each team nominates a player “who best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.” A panel of former NFL players will select eight finalists for the award—four from each conference—where the winner will be announced at the NFL Honors show.

When the finalists are chosen, those eight players will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the Sportsmanship award category when the players begin voting on Dec. 18.

The Colts have had only one player win this award—running back Frank Gore in 2018. Former quarterback Andrew Luck (2018) and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (2019) have been recent finalists for the Colts.

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Colts activate DT DeForest Buckner from COVID-19 list

DeForest Buckner makes his return.

The Indianapolis Colts activated defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Friday.

Buckner was placed on the list last week before the game against the Tennessee Titans and because he tested positive, he was ineligible to play. His absence was sorely missed as Derrick Henry rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, the Colts have all three players off the list as running back Jonathan Taylor and defensive end Denico Autry were both activated this week. There are no players currently on the list for the Colts.

As the Colts prepare to take on the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium this week, they will get their best player back on the field, and he’s likely to log a practice on Friday.

Colts injury report: Anthony Castonzo (knee) still not practicing

Thursday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (7-4) released their injury report on Thursday ahead of the Week 13 matchup with the Houston Texans (4-7) at NRG Stadium.

The Colts saw the return of several players at practice on Thursday but there were still quite a number that still have not hit the field yet this week.

They did get some good news in that defensive end Denico Autry was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and should be ready to play against the Texans.

Here’s a look at the injury report for the Colts on Thursday:

*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP FP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP DNP
Chaz Green OT Back DNP DNP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP FP
Bobby Okereke LB Ankle DNP DNP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP LP
Rigoberto Sanchez P Illness DNP DNP
Khari Willis S Back/Quad DNP DNP
Zach Pascal WR Knee LP FP
Kemoko Turay DE Ankle LP LP
Ryan Kelly C Neck FP FP
Isaiah Rodgers CB Knee FP FP
Jordan Wilkins RB Ribs FP FP
Jack Doyle TE Rest — DNP
Denico Autry DE Illness — LP

Notes

  • LT Anthony Castonzo, S Khari Willis and LB Bobby Okereke did not practice on Thursday. Their statuses are now in doubt unless they can get on the field Friday. Even then they are likely questionable.
  • C Ryan Kelly was a full participant again so he’s ready to play, barring a setback.
  • QB Philip Rivers returned to practice on Thursday as expected. He should be good to play against the Texans.

The Colts have one more practice on Friday, which is when the injury designations come out so we will get more information on the statuses of several players.

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Colts sign P Ryan Allen to the practice squad

The Colts found their temporary replacement for Rigo.

The Indianapolis Colts signed punter Ryan Allen to the practice squad, the team announced Thursday.

As the temporary replacement for Rigoberto Sanchez, the Colts will be going with the veteran Allen, who has spent the majority of his career with the New England Patriots.

Allen signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 NFL draft and was their punter through the 2018 season. He also spent time on the Titans practice squad in 2020 while seeing time in one game this season.

Allen is filling in for Sanchez, who underwent successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. The Colts haven’t given a timetable for Sanchez’s return as that’s the least of the worries right now.

The Colts got a veteran replacement for Sanchez as they look to make a run down the home stretch of the season.

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Colts activate DE Denico Autry from COVID-19 list

Denico Autry is back on the active roster.

The Indianapolis Colts activated defensive end Denico Autry from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Thursday.

Autry missed the last two games after testing positive ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. His presence was missed in the loss against the Tennessee Titans in Week 12, but now he’s back on the active roster.

The Colts activated running back Jonathan Taylor from the COVID-19 list on Wedensday, which means they have just one player remaining in DeForest Buckner. Getting him back for this game will be huge.

Autry should be expected to resume his starting role while kicking inside more often if Buckner is still on the reserve list come Sunday. The Colts are still working Kemoo Turay back while Ben Banogu has been a healthy scratch since Week 9.

Autry should provide a nice boost for the defensive front in what has turned out to be a crucial game against the Texans this week.

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Colts injury report: C Ryan Kelly (neck) practices in full

Wednesday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (7-4) returned to the field Wednesday as they prepare for the road matchup against the Houston Texans (4-7) at NRG Stadium in Week 13.

The Colts announced that running back Jonathan Taylor has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and practiced on Wednesday. He didn’t show up on the injury report, which likely means he’s good to go.

Here’s a look at the injury report for the Colts following Wednesday’s practice:

*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP
Chaz Green OT Back DNP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP
Bobby Okereke LB Ankle DNP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP
Rigoberto Sanchez P Illness DNP
Khari Willis S Back/Quad DNP
Zach Pascal WR Knee LP
Kemoko Turay DE Ankle LP
Ryan Kelly C Neck FP
Isaiah Rodgers CB Knee FP
Jordan Wilkins RB Ribs FP

Notes

  • QB Philip Rivers didn’t practice but still intends to play. This was more of a precaution.
  • S Khari Willis and LB Bobby Okereke will be the ones to watch this week. Their statuses are very much in doubt if they don’t return to practice at some point this week.
  • C Ryan Kelly was a full participant, which likely means barring a setback, he is ready to return.
  • LT Anthony Castonzo is dealing with an MCL sprain and may not play against the Texans. The Colts aren’t ready to put a timetable on his return.

The Colts have two more practices this week before they head to Houston. The final injury report with designations will be released on Friday.

Frank Reich on Rigoberto Sanchez: ‘His prognosis is very positive’

Rigoberto Sanchez underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a cancerous tumor, and head coach Frank Reich shared a slight update with the media on Wednesday.

While Sanchez himself also tweeted an update on Tuesday, saying his surgery went well, Reich reiterated that the prognosis for the 26-year-old punter is “very positive.”

It isn’t clear when Sanchez will be able to return to football activities but that is the least of his or the team’s concerns. The focus right now is getting back healthy and recovering from Tuesday’s procedure.

That said, the Colts will have to make a move at the punter position this week and while Reich didn’t say a name, he did tell the media that they are currently in the process of bringing someone in to replace Sanchez for the time being.

The Colts will eventually make a move soon, but it’s very encouraging the optimism that surrounds the situation right now.

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Report: Colts believe WR Parris Campbell done for season

A Parris Campbell return isn’t likely.

Though it’s not a surprise, the Indianapolis Colts reportedly don’t see wide receiver Parris Campbell returning from his knee injury anytime soon and that his season is most likely over.

After suffering an injury to both his MCL and PCL while taking a low hit from Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith, Campbell has been on the injured reserve for the majority of the campaign.

He elected to have surgery and now it seems the Colts don’t see a return for the 2020 season, per Zak Keefer of The Athletic.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Campbell’s timetable was always thought to be a long one and while the Colts never truly ruled him out, the typical recovery time suggested it would be difficult for Campbell to return.

Though the offense has been more explosive than it was in 2019, Campbell showed in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars that his skillset is a perfect fit and is vital to the entire scheme.

Now, the Colts will have to wait for Campbell to hopefully put together a healthy 2021 season, something he hasn’t been able to do since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft.

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Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez gives update following surgery

Rigoberto Sanchez gives an update.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a malignant tumor and tweeted an update that it went well.

Sanchez revealed on Monday that doctors found a cancerous tumor. However, they were able to find it before it spread to the rest of his body. It will be a long road to recovery, but Sanchez has proven he’s a fighter.

The Colts aren’t expecting this to be the end for Sanchez and even though there is a chance he misses the remainder of the season, the team isn’t officially saying he won’t return.

The Colts will have to find a replacement for Sanchez for the time being, but the 26-year-old is officially on the road to recovery with a ton of support behind him.