Tag: Rigoberto Sanchez

Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez expected to make return vs. Texans

Rigo is back.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich didn’t rule any players out on Friday but did say the team expects punter Rigoberto Sanchez to return for the Week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Sanchez underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor at the beginning of the month and while it wasn’t clear what the timeline would look like, the Colts held a belief that he could return quickly.

It seems that happened more quickly than anyone expected as Sanchez will have missed just two games before making his return.

Sanchez stayed on the active roster instead of going on the injured reserve list, and this is why. He returned to practice for the first time this week on Wednesday and was a full participant on the injury report.

Sanchez will handle his typical workload of punting and kicking off.

The final injury report with designations will come out later on Friday, which will give us a better idea of what the injury statuses are for the majority of the team.

[lawrence-related id=54362,54359,54345]

Rigoberto Sanchez grateful for support after cancer surgery

Rigoberto Sanchez spoke to the media for the first time since surgery.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez surprised everyone when he revealed doctors found a cancerous tumor that had to be removed, and he was overwhelmed with the support he received from all around.

The 26-year-old punter has been recovering from surgery since Dec. 1 but appears to be close to returning. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice for the first time since surgery and spoke with reporters for the first time as well.

He opened by saying how grateful he is for all of the support he has received throughout the entire process.

“It’s great to see everybody. I wanted to start off by saying that I’m just happy to be here talking to you guys,” Sanchez said Wednesday. “I want to start off by thanking the Irsay family, the Colts organization, Coach (Frank) Reich, (Chris) Ballard, the list goes on and on – the team, the Colts fan base, idols that texted me from around the league that are punters and kickers. It was unbelievable. My wife obviously was there throughout the whole process.”

It isn’t clear if Sanchez will be ready to play on Sunday against the Houston Texans, but he’s certainly on track to return much sooner than expected after undergoing the removal surgery.

Sanchez kept the nature of his cancer to himself as a personal request to the media, but continued to say how grateful he was for the support.

“I know you guys might be curious of what type of cancer I had, but I’m going to keep that personal if that’s OK with you guys. I’m just so thankful that they caught it early and it didn’t spread anywhere around my body,” Sanchez said. “I’m just so grateful for the doctors here in the Colts locker room and in Indiana as well. It’s incredible how things pan out sometimes. I could have gone to any other team and Indiana is like where it’s at for medicine. I’m just so grateful to be here with you guys and it’s amazing to be back.”

The Colts are getting their punter back as soon as Sunday—if not shortly after—as this incredible story continues to develop.

[listicle id=54315]

Colts injury report: Rigoberto Sanchez returns to practice

Wednesday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-4) released their first injury report of the week as they prepare for the Week 15 matchup with the Houston Texans (4-9) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

All things considered, the opening injury report looks encouraging for the Colts. What’s a bit surprising is the fact that punter Rigoberto Sanchez was a full participant for the first time since undergoing a procedure to remove a cancerous tumor.

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

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

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Mo Alie-Cox TE Knee DNP
Denico Autry DE Rest DNP
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP
Darius Leonard LB Back FP
Xavier Rhodes CB Knee FP
Rigoberto Sanchez P Illness FP
Kemoko Turay DE Ankle FP

Notes

  • LT Anthony Castonzo got through Sunday’s game after tweaking his knee but Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday that he got out of the game fine. Still, his status should be monitored.
  • Sanchez has a chance to play on Sunday for the first time since undergoing the procedure.
  • LB Darius Leonard and CB Xavier Rhodes seem to be good to go after suffering their respective injuries during the Week 14 win over the Raiders.
  • QB Philip Rivers didn’t practice, which has been the case ever since he suffered his toe injury in Week 11.

[listicle id=54315]

Colts hopeful Rigoberto Sanchez returns to practice this week

Rigoberto Sanchez could make his return this week.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez is hoping to make his return to the playing field sometime soon as he recovers from the removal of a cancerous tumor.

Soon could be this week.

While it remains to be seen when Sanchez will be ready to play in games, the 26-year-old punter is going to try to practice punting this week, according to special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.

Sanchez underwent surgery to remove the cancerous tumor at the beginning of the month. He played in a game despite knowing his diagnosis and has been recovering for the past few weeks.

Head coach Frank Reich said last week that they believe Sanchez could return at some point this season. It appears that’s why they never put him on the injured reserve list, which would force him to miss a minimum of three games.

The situation bears monitoring this week, but there is a chance we see the Colts’ punter back on the field in some capacity this week.

[lawrence-related id=54281,54274,54271]

Colts’ Rigoberto Sanchez has chance to return this season

Rigo might return this season.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez has been out indefinitely after undergoing a procedure to remove a cancerous tumor, but there’s a chance he returns this season.

While it isn’t clear how long his timetable for recovery is right now, head coach Frank Reich told reporters that he’s optimistic for a return this season, potentially for the playoffs.

“I’m really excited. He’s really making good progress. He is back in the building, he’s had a good week – making really good progress. Very optimistic and very happy for Rigo,” Reich said Friday. “Bubba (Ventrone) was calling his name out in a special teams meeting today asking him a question about something, so just good to have him here.”

When asked if he thinks Sanchez has a chance to play this season, Reich said, “I probably do, yeah.”

The Colts brought in veteran Ryan Allen to be the replacement for Sanchez while he recovers from the procedure. There’s no timetable for his recovery, but it seems he’s making viable progress to return at some point down the line.

With only four games remaining, the Colts are making a playoff push for either the top spot in the AFC South or one of the wild-card spots.

Regardless, the Colts are hoping that Sanchez can join them in January if his recovery timeline allows it.

Why the Colts signed Ryan Allen to replace Rigoberto Sanchez

Frank Reich talks what he sees in Ryan Allen.

The Indianapolis Colts had to find a new punter after it was revealed that Rigoberto Sanchez was to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor this week. This led to the Colts signing veteran Ryan Allen to the practice squad.

Fortunately, the prognosis with Sanchez is “very positive” as head coach Frank Reich put it this week. But the Colts still need a temporary replacement at punter until Sanchez can come back.

So they signed the veteran Allen, and Reich gave a bit of an explanation as to what they saw in him. Part of it has to do with his holding ability.

“He’s a real good holder, just having a chance to watch him up close today get a number of holds. He looked really good,” Reich said Friday. “Obviously, he’s held a bunch so – there is still that little bit of at the beginning of the week or when he first gets here, get with Rod (Rodrigo Blankenship), get the particulars for how Rod likes the ball placed, get a feel for Rod’s pre-snap routine so to speak – so the timing and the rhythm and everything feels good. Real smart guy, just came in like a pro and I think we’re all systems go.”

It isn’t clear how long the Colts will be without Sanchez. As of this writing, he’s still on the active roster. But he could be loved to the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list if they wanted to make room for Allen for the remainder of the season.

But that remains to be seen. Instead, the Colts will be rolling with the veteran punter as Indy looks to make a playoff push with five games remaining.

[listicle id=53843]

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.

[lawrence-related id=53795,53769,53765]

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.

[listicle id=53751]

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.

Frank Reich’s statement on Rigoberto Sanchez: ‘We love Rigo’

Frank Reich gives a statement about Rigoberto Sanchez.

Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez revealed to the world Monday he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor and will undergo surgery on Tuesday to have it removed.

It came as a major shock to all, especially considering he played in the Week 12 game against the Tennessee Titans just a day prior—and he played well.

In speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Frank Reich gave a statement filled with praise and love for the 26-year-old punter. Here’s what he said:

“Just to start off, just a word about Rigo (Rigoberto Sanchez) and obviously the news that he put out there for everyone that you saw today – that Rigo is going to have an operation tomorrow to remove a cancerous tumor. We learned of his diagnosis last week and we’re just thankful that they caught it before it spread. We talk often about the culture in our building, the character and the makeup of the players on this team. Most, if not all of you, know Rigo and the kind of person he is. He is one of the most well-liked and respected players in our building. So, I just want to reiterate how fortunate we are to have him as a leader, a teammate and a friend. To further show the type of teammate he is, obviously he received the information late in the week – there was discussion on whether or not he would play or not play. You just have to know Rigo to know there was no way he was going to let the team down. So he consulted with the doctors and decided to play in the game and then played great – just a true competitor. So we know that is how he is going to handle this off the field. We have no doubt that he will overcome this. Obviously, we’re very optimistic about the prognosis and about the timetable to get back. We don’t want to put any date on a timetable, but we’re very optimistic and knowing Rigo, God willing it will be sooner rather than later but we just have to take that, see how the procedure goes and everything there. We love Rigo, we’re here supporting him and just praying for a speedy recovery.”

Sanchez is tied to the Colts through the 2023 season after signing a contract extension with the team during the 2019 offseason. He has been a Pro-Bowl caliber punter and seemed to be heading that way this season. However, those dreams won’t be realized in 2020 as Sanchez is likely to miss the remainder of the season.

[listicle id=53652]