Colts Lose Donald Thomas for Season

Sep 15, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Donald Thomas (66) is carried off the field after being injured during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Photo by Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts lost more than just a game Sunday in Indianapolis; they also lost their starting left guard Donald Thomas.

Thomas left Sunday’s game early in the first quarter after going down with a knee injury. He was carted off the field, and later it was revealed that he suffered a torn quad muscle.

At Chuck Pagano’s Monday presser, he revealed that Thomas will undergo surgery sometime this week and will miss the rest of the season. This is a huge blow to Indy’s offensive line. Owner Jim Irsay has made it pretty clear that the Colts need to do a better job of protecting quarterback Andrew Luck, and without one of their best lineman protecting Luck’s blindside, it will be even more difficult to keep Luck upright. Rookie Hugh Thornton stepped in to replace Thomas on Sunday and should continue to play that role should the Colts not find someone else to fill the void in the free agent market.

The Colts already lost starting running back Vick Ballard for the season in the past 48 hours, and starting tight end Dwayne Allen is still out with a hip injury. However, after leaving Sunday’s game in the second quarter, starting wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey’s MRI results came back negative.