Tag: Anthony Castonzo

Colts place LT Anthony Castonzo on IR

Anthony Castonzo goes on IR.

The Indianapolis Colts placed left tackle Anthony Castonzo on the injured reserve list and signed center Joey Hunt from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced Friday.

This news comes as no surprise given that Castonzo will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair the ankle injury he suffered during the Thursday practice ahead of the Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Castonzo’s absence will lead to the Colts trying to figure out who will replace him. They signed veteran Jared Veldheer to the practice squad with the intent to elevate him to the active roster before the regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hunt has been a reliable piece for the Colts. He has spent the majority of the season on the practice squad but has been elevated several times. His stay seems permanent, though, for the remainder of the season as the Colts hope to have some more offensive line depth.

Anthony Castonzo’s ankle injury not believed to be career-ending

Anthony Castonzo’s ankle injury doesn’t appear to be career ending.

The Indianapolis Colts revealed some tough news Wednesday in that they will be without left tackle Anthony Castonzo for the remainder of the 2020 season.

The veteran left tackle underwent surgery to repair the ankle injury he suffered in practice on Thursday ahead of the Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Castonzo will miss the remainder of the season, head coach Frank Reich doesn’t believe it will force the 31-year-old to end his career.

“I would if I could explain it right. It’s something different that I have not heard before to be honest with you,” Reich said Wednesday. “The good news is we feel good about the procedure. It’s not anything that is career-ending or anything like that, but it is a funky kind of injury that I had not been aware about before. I wish I could do a good job of explaining it, but we’ll give you more detail as we can.”

While it may not be career-ending, there is nothing stopping Castonzo from calling it a career after the 2020 season. Though he still has one more year left on his current contract, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Castonzo retired.

And while that would force the Colts into looking at a top offensive tackle this offseason, it wouldn’t strain them with the salary cap. The Colts were smart and front-loaded all of the guaranteed money onto the first year of the deal. If Castonzo does retire, there would be no dead cap against the Colts.

But Reich doesn’t believe this to be a career-threatening injury and if Castonzo does want to return, the injury won’t appear to hinder him.

Regardless, the Colts are hoping to make a playoff berth this weekend and will be looking to survive as long as they can without their starting left tackle.

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Colts injury report: CB Rock Ya-Sin in concussion protocol

Wednesday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (10-5) released their first injury report of the week on Wednesday as they prepare for the regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Colts revealed some tough news Wednesday in that left tackle Anthony Castonzo will miss the remainder of the season due to ankle surgery. He missed the Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the injury and the team felt it best he get it corrected—even if that means missing the rest of the campaign.

Here’s a look at the first injury report of the week for the Colts:

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

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Denico Autry DE/DT Hip DNP
DeForest Buckner DT Ankle DNP
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP
Will Holden OT Ankle DNP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP
Khari Willis S Concussion DNP
Rock Ya-Sin CB Concussion DNP
Marcus Johnson WR Quad LP
Michael Pittman Jr. WR Concussion LP
Jordan Glasgow LB Illness FP

Notes

  • The big injuries to monitor this week will be Denico Autry and DeForest Buckner. The latter has played through the ankle injury but it’s still worth monitoring.
  • The Colts have three players currently in the concussion protocol. Though it appears Michael Pittman Jr. has already taken that first step to returning. Rock Ya-Sin is a new addition to that list.
  • Frank Reich told the media Wednesday at Will Holden won’t play Sunday in the finale, which means the Colts have to dig even deeper into their depth to replace Castonzo.
  • Marcus Johnson returned to practice for the first time since injuring his quad in Week 14.
  • Rookie Jordan Glasgow returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list and should be good to go for Sunday.

The Colts have two more practices before the injury designations come out on Friday.

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Colts’ Anthony Castonzo to have season-ending ankle surgery

Anthony Castonzo is out for the rest of the year.

Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo will undergo surgery on his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season, head coach Frank Reich told the media Wednesday.

Castonzo popped up on the injury report ahead of the Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an ankle injury and was inactive for the matchup.

It seems the injury is significant enough to require surgery, and the Colts will be without their left tackle for the remainder of the 2020 campaign.

Castonzo has been a strong piece of the offensive line anchoring the left side but has been dealing with injuries as of late.

He suffered an MCL sprain during the Week 12 loss against the Tennessee Titans and missed one and half games. Then, while playing through the MCL sprain, Castonzo suffered the ankle injury in practice before the game against the Steelers.

Castonzo’s backup, Le’Raven Clark, has been on the injured reserve list since suffering a torn Achilles in Week 13.

The Colts are likely to lean on Chaz Green, Will Holden and J’Marcus Webb with the chance to also bring someone in from free agency.

Colts injury updates following loss to Steelers

Reich gives some updates on the injuries.

The Indianapolis Colts came out of Sunday’s loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a number of injuries to monitor.

Head coach Frank Reich told reporters during his Monday conference call that the placed wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and safety Khari Willis in the league’s concussion protocol. It is unclear whether they will be cleared in time for the regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reich also said the team is monitoring the status of left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who was inactive due to an ankle injury that popped up on Thursday before the game against the Steelers.

Right tackle Braden Smith is still currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list but Reich wouldn’t reveal whether he was a close contact or a positive test. If Smith was a close contact, he has a chance to return to practice five days after being placed on the list. If he was a positive test, his timetable is either 10 or 14 days depending on whether he was symptomatic.

The Colts have some injuries to monitor throughout the week, and there’s a chance they will be short-handed for the finale against the Jaguars, which wouldn’t be ideal given their need to avoid any repeat of Week 1.

The first injury report will be released on Wednesday when the team returns to practice so that will give a more clear picture of what the injury situations look like.

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Colts vs. Steelers: Inactive players for Week 16

Inactives for Week 16.

The Indianapolis Colts (10-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) have released their inactive players lists ahead of the Week 16 matchup at Heinz Field on Sunday.

The Colts will be without both starting offensive tackles for the game. Right tackle Braden Smith is on the reserve/COVID-19 list while left tackle Anthony Castonzo will be inactive due to an ankle injury he suffered during practice this week.

Here’s a look at the inactives for the Colts in Week 16:

Name Position Injury
Anthony Castonzo OT Ankle
Marcus Johnson WR Quad
Jacob Eason QB —
Dezmon Patmon WR —
Isaiah Rodgers CB —

Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (ankle) was questionable but is active for the game. Rodgers is a bit of a surprise healthy scratch given his work on special teams.

Here’s a look at the inactives for the Steelers in Week 16:

Name Position Injury
Marcus Allen LB Stinger
Chris Boswell K Groin
Anthony McFarland RB Illness
Ola Adeniyi LB Shoulder
Josh Dobbs QB —
Isaiah Buggs DE —

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Colts will be without both OTs against NFL’s best pass rush

Colts OL is taking a hit this weekend.

The Indianapolis Colts (10-4) are hoping to stay alive in the playoff hunt when they travel to Heinz Field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) and will be doing so without the benefit of either one of their starting offensive tackles.

The Colts announced Friday that starting right tackle Braden Smith would miss Sunday’s game after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. That was a tough break, but it got even worse on Saturday when left tackle Anthony Castonzo was downgraded from questionable to out due to an ankle injury.

Now, the Colts will have to find a way to contain the NFL’s best pass rush. The Steelers enter this game with the most sacks (47) and the highest pressure state in the NFL (33.3%).

With T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward leading the way, the Colts may find it hard to move the ball consistently without their starting tackles. The offensive line has been stellar in pass protection this season, but they haven’t faced a challenge like this being down two starters against a vaunted pass rush.

It remains to be seen who will fill in for the Colts. It is likely going to be Chaz Green at left tackle while Will Holden slides in at right tackle.

However, it isn’t outside the realm of possibilities for the Colts to put left guard Quenton Nelson at left tackle, put rookie Danny Pinter at left guard and figure out who the best option at right tackle would be.

As the Raiders blew a chance to help the Colts in the playoff hunt, this game becomes even more crucial for Indy.

But they will face an uphill battle with both of their staring offensive tackles watching from the sidelines against the NFL’s best pass rush.

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Colts downgrade LT Anthony Castonzo to OUT vs. Steelers

Anthony Castonzo won’t play Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts downgraded left tackle Anthony Castonzo from questionable to out for the Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Saturday.

Castonzo has been n the injury report for the last few weeks dealing with a knee injury, but he popped up on Friday’s final injury report with a new ankle injury. He didn’t practice and was ruled questionable for the matchup.

But now, the Colts have ruled him out as Castonzo’s ankle injury is seemingly more serious than first imagined. The Colts will now be down both of their starting tackles as right tackle Braden Smith was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday.

This is a big blow to the offense, especially going against the team leading the NFL in both sacks (44) and pressure rate (33.3%).

It won’t be easy but now the Colts have to find a way continue their winning streak without the benefit of their starting offensive tackles.

Colts injury report: DE Al-Quadin Muhammad downgraded to DNP

Thursday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (10-4) released their injury report Thursday ahead of the Week 16 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3), and it seems one of their defensive ends is trending in the wrong direction.

After starting the week with a limited tag on Wednesday’s injury report, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad was downgraded to a DNP tag, which means his status for Sunday’s game is officially in doubt.

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

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

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Denico Autry DE/DT Rest DNP FP
DeForest Buckner DT Ankle DNP LP
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP FP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP LP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP FP
Marcus Johnson WR Quad DNP DNP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP FP
Mo Alie-Cox TE Knee LP FP
Al-Quadin Muhammad DE Ankle LP DNP
Quenton Nelson OL Back LP FP
Jack Doyle TE Quad — DNP

Notes

  • Muhammad will definitely need to be monitored entering the weekend. Logging a practice might be necessary for him to play on Sunday.
  • DT DeForest Buckner, QB Philip Rivers and LT Anthony Castonzo all returned to practice on Thursday. They should be expected to play barring a change.
  • TE Jack Doyle popped up on the injury report Thursday with a quad injury so he will need to be monitored as well. If he can’t go, Mo Alie-Cox and Trey Burton will see bigger roles.

The Colts have one more practice on Friday before the injury designations are released for the weekend.

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Colts’ final injury report vs. Texans in Week 15

A look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 15.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-4) released their final injury report ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans (4-9) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

No players were ruled out, though three were listed as questionable. It also seems like punter Rigoberto Sanchez will be returning for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 15:

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

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Mo Alie-Cox TE Knee DNP DNP LP Quest.
Denico Autry DE Rest DNP FP FP
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP FP FP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP FP FP Quest.
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP FP FP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP FP FP
Darius Leonard LB Back FP FP DNP
Xavier Rhodes CB Knee FP FP DNP
Rigoberto Sanchez P Illness FP FP FP
Kemoko Turay DE Ankle FP FP DNP
Jack Doyle TE Rest — DNP FP
DeForest Buckner DT Ankle — LP DNP Quest.
T.Y. Hilton WR Rest — — DNP
Julian Blackmon S Rest — — DNP

Notes

  • TE Mo Alie-Cox is questionable but returned to practice on Friday. That’s encouraging for his status to play.
  • DT DeForest Buckner suffered an ankle injury in practice on Thursday and didn’t practice on Friday. He is truly questionable for the matchup.
  • LT Anthony Castonzo was able to log two full practices this week, suggesting he’s good to go on Sunday.

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