Tag: Rigoberto Sanchez

Colts agreed to terms on 3-year deal with P Rigoberto Sanchez

Rigoberto Sanchez will be back with the Colts on a new 3-year deal!

The Indianapolis Colts and pending free agent punter Rigoberto Sanchez agreed to terms on a new contract, per multiple reports Tuesday.

Sanchez returned to form late in the 2023 season after working his way back from an Achilles tear that claimed his 2022 campaign. Now, the Colts can move forward with their specialist unit intact.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network was the first to report the news.

Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reported it will be a three-year deal for the punter.

Sanchez has been pretty reliable since entering the league in 2017. The former undrafted free agent out of Hawaii also handled kickoff duties before the Colts signed Matt Gay last offseason.

Despite coming back from a torn Achilles in 2023, Sanchez posted a career-high 42.8 net yards per return on 68 punts. Remarkably, none of his punts resulted in a touchback while 21 of them landed inside the 20-yard line.

It may not seem like a vital signing, but Sanchez gives the Colts a reliable weapon as a punter, and he should be even more effective now that he’s further removed from the Achilles injury.

 

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Predicting the fate of every Colts’ pending free agent in 2024

Predicting which Colts’ free agents stay and go in 2024.

The Indianapolis Colts are just over a week away from the start of free agency, and there are some big decisions to make when it comes to the players set to hit the market.

Expected to have roughly 14 unrestricted free agents set to hit the market this offseason, the Colts won’t be able to bring all of them back. In fact, it’s likely that most of them find a new home in 2024.

The team’s current standing with the salary cap is among the strongest the NFL.

We took a look at the players the Colts should let walk into free agency and the players who should be re-signed this offseason.

Now, it’s time to predict the fate of every pending free agent for the Colts in 2024.

Ranking Colts’ pending free agents by importance

Ranking the Colts’ most important pending free agents.

The Indianapolis Colts have 14 players set to be unrestricted free agents this offseason with a number of players from that list who were major contributors for the team in 2023.

The Colts, despite having the fifth most cap space in the NFL (roughly $58.9 million) according to Over The Cap, will have to make some potentially tough decisions in regard to how they allocate those funds this offseason

Here, we are ranking these 14 players by their importance to retain for general manager Chris Ballard and Indianapolis in 2024.

 

8 pending free agents the Colts should re-sign

The Colts should try to retain these 8 pending free agents.

The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of decisions to make with the 2024 offseason officially arriving, and that includes what to do with the crop of players set to hit free agency.

Working with roughly $58.9 million in salary-cap space, according to Over The Cap, the Colts will have enough money to re-sign a number of pending free agents before they hit the market in the middle of March.

Here’s a look at eight pending free agents the Colts should look to re-sign this offseason:

Colts vs. Texans: Final injury report for Week 2

Here’s the final injury report for the Colts and Texans in Week 2.

The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) and Houston Texans (0-1) released their final injury reports Friday ahead of the Week 2 matchup at NRG Stadium.

The Colts didn’t rule any players out on their final injury report and have two listed as questionable, including one starter.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 2:

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

Player Injury Wed. 9/13 Thur. 9/14 Fri. 9/15 Status
G Quenton Nelson Toe DNP DNP LP Questionable
TE Drew Ogletree Concussion DNP LP FP Questionable
T Braden Smith Knee/Ankle DNP FP FP —
RB Zack Moss Forearm FP FP FP —
P Rigoberto Sanchez Illness — — DNP —

Notes

  • RB Zack Moss is without a designation and should be the leader in the backfield as he makes his debut.
  • TE Drew Ogletree is still in the protocol but the fact that he was a full participant Friday without the red non-contact jersey means he’s close to returning. He likely still needs to be cleared by the independent neurologist.
  • G Quenton Nelson returned to practice Friday and appears to be a game-time decision.
  • RT Braden Smith appears good to go while P Rigoberto Sanchez was added to the injury report due to an illness but is without a designation.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Texans in Week 2:

Player Injury Wed. 9/13 Thur. 9/14 Fri. 9/15 Status
LB Neville Hewitt Illness DNP DNP LP Questionable
S Jalen Pitre Chest DNP DNP DNP Out
T Laremy Tunsil Knee DNP LP DNP Questionable
S Jimmy Ward Hip DNP DNP DNP Out
S Grayland Arnold Hamstring LP FP FP —
LB Blake Cashman Hamstring LP LP FP —
T George Fant Shoulder LP FP FP —
WR John Metchie Hamstring LP LP FP —
LB Denzel Perryman Ankle/Wrist LP FP FP —
TE Dalton Schultz Thigh LP FP FP —
WR Robert Woods Rest LP FP FP —
RB Dare Ogunbowale Hamstring FP FP FP —
QB C.J. Stroud Shoulder — — LP Questionable

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What we learned from Week 2 of Colts OTAs

Here’s what we learned from Week 2 of Colts OTAs.

The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up their second week of organized team activities (OTAs) at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center and now have just two weeks left of the offseason workout schedule.

While the players are running around in shorts and jerseys without pads or contact, there are still plenty of notes to take away from the practices. The spotlight will, of course, be on rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, but there are other storylines to keep an eye on as well.

It’s also important to note that the media is only permitted to watch one practice per week so the news and notes may not be a perfect reflection of the depth chart or performances as a whole.

With the second week of OTAs now complete, here’s a look at what we learned about the Colts:

What went right, what went wrong for the Colts in 2022

Taking a look at what went right and what went wrong for the 2022 Colts.

As the offseason continues to unfold, more reflection about the Indianapolis Colts’ previous season naturally rises to the surface before we begin to look ahead into 2023.

Here’s what went right and what went wrong for the Colts in 2022:

Colts place Rigoberto Sanchez, Armani Watts on IR

Rigoberto Sanchez and Armani Watts placed on season-ending injured reserve.

The Indianapolis Colts placed punter Rigoberto Sanchez and safety Armani Watts on the injured reserve list as a part of the team’s efforts to reduce the roster to 53 players, the team announced Tuesday.

Any player placed on the injured reserve list before the initial rosters are set is forced to miss the entire season. If the team wanted to designate a player to return but still put them on the list, they would have to wait until after the final roster cuts to do so.

Neither of these is a surprise for the Colts. Sanchez tore his Achilles during the final week of training camp. While there was a moment in which the Colts may have considered waiting to put Sanchez on the reserve list—hoping he could later return—the timeline for an Achilles recovery is simply too long for that to be a possibility.

The Colts signed Matt Haack just before the preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he showcased extremely well to make the initial 53-man roster.

Watts suffered an ankle injury on the opening kickoff of the preseason finale. He had to be carted off, and head coach Frank Reich told the media following the game that Watts would likely miss the season. This move confirms that.

Watts was slated for a special teams role and will likely be replaced by rookies Rodney Thomas II and Trevor Denbow.

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Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez motivated after Achilles surgery

Rigoberto Sanchez is motivated following Achilles surgery.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez suffered a torn Achilles during practice this week and underwent surgery shortly afterward to repair the torn tendon.

On Friday, Sanchez gave a slight update following surgery via his Instagram story, making it clear he’s motivated to return to the field as quickly as possible.

Whether Sanchez will be able to return to the field in 2022 remains to be seen. The typical timetable for an Achilles injury like this is at least six months of rest and rehab. So it’s unlikely we will see Sanchez before the end of the 2022 season.

The Colts already have his replacement in Matt Haack, the former Buffalo Bills punter who signed the day following the injury.

Sanchez still has one more year left on his current contract so as long as his rehab goes well, we should expect to see him back for the next season.

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Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez confirmed to have torn Achilles

Rigoberto Sanchez has a torn Achilles.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez indeed has a torn Achilles, per a spokesperson with the team Wednesday.

This was the fear from the beginning when the news initially broke Tuesday following training camp practice. Sanchez tore his Achilles at the end of practice when the Colts were running sprints.

With Sanchez suffering the likely season-ending injury, the Colts will now have to take a look at the free-agent market for a punter.

If Sanchez does miss the entire 2022 season, he is expected to return for the 2023 season, which will be the final year of his current contract.

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