For the Indianapolis Colts, the hits simply keep on coming. First, they lost both quarterback Carson Wentz and All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson in August to foot surgery, but both are on the mend and Wentz has even returned to practice -- being ramped up slowly but surely toward his regular season debut for the Colts (whenever that might be). But when he does retake the mantle, which will be from Jacob Eason and not a now-injured Sam Ehlinger (sprained knee), it's unlikely he'll be throwing any passes to wide receiver T.Y. Hilton.
Hilton is reportedly expected to miss multiple weeks with an unspecified injury, per Stephen Holder of The Athletic, but additional reports note the issue with Hilton's back and/or neck -- per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The injury, at the moment, has not been labeled as season-ending, but tests are still being conducted to determine its severity. The injury is being described as a "disc issue" by head coach Frank Reich, per NFL.com, who admits Hilton will miss some games but stops short of calling it season-ending.
Additionally, the Colts will lose backup tackle Sam Tevi to a torn ACL suffered in the victory over the Detroit Lions on Friday, per Mike Wells of ESPN. But while Tevi is a bit of a blow to the depth at offensive tackle -- assuming he would've made the team -- losing Hilton for any amount of time is a humdinger.
A four-time Pro Bowl receiver, Hilton has proven time and again he's one of the best in the league, when healthy. The problem is, he's had several run-ins with the injury bug as of late, and hasn't played a complete regular season since 2017. The 31-year-old was able to stay on the field for a total of 15 games last season after starting training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list, but he missed five games the year prior as he combated a calf injury.
He went on to sign a one-year deal this offseason to remain with the Colts in 2021, but any time missed in a subsequent contract year will not only harm his value going into 2022 free agency, it also takes the Colts best receiving weapon off of the field. All the Colts can do now is evaluate him and hope for the best, as a training camp and preseason to forget nears its end.
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