Colts Plan on Bringing Henry Anderson Back Slowly in Training Camp
According to the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said that his team plans on bringing defensive end Henry Anderson “back slowly” in his ACL rehabilitation during the AFC Media Breakfast on Tuesday:
re: Henry Anderson (knee), Colts going to bring him back slowly, Pagano says. Not committing to him starting tr. camp on the field just yet.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 22, 2016
With training camp set to begin earlier around July 15th, it makes sense that the Colts aren’t necessarily looking to rush Anderson’s return, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos this past season.
The Colts have taken a cautious approach during training camp with other players who suffered prior season-ending injuries in the past, such as Robert Mathis, Reggie Wayne, Vick Ballard, and Donald Thomas among others. Therefore, it’s only logical that the team would do the same with one of their top young defensive players during his rehabilitation respectively.
Having torn his ACL in the middle of the season, Anderson could rightfully use some extra time for his rehabilitation before engaging as a full participant during training camp.
The 2nd-year pro is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he recorded 31 tackles and 1 sack in 9 starts before his season ended prematurely.
However, those stats don’t paint the entire picture, as Anderson was among the defense’s top run stuffing lineman. Specifically, per Pro Football Focus (subscription), his +10.2 run stopping grade was the 14th best among all 3-4 defensive lineman.
Anderson is clearly a long-term piece to the Colts defense going forward, so the team looks like they’re going to perform their due diligence in ensuring that he’s fully healthy before returning.