The Indianapolis Colts were already expecting to be without OLB Robert Mathis for a few games this season, but recent news is far worse. The Colts lost Mathis to an achilles injury, after he hurt himself working out on his own in Atlanta. Mathis is now out for the season, and the Colts will have to move on without him.
As word of Mathis’ injury spread around the franchise, the impact was felt instantly. On his local radio show, WR Reggie Wayne said that once the players were notified about losing their best defensive player, that the air was literally sucked out of the room. During his four-game suspension, Mathis was not allowed to contact his team or coaches, but could confer with team doctors. Mathis was also not allowed to workout at the team facility, which is why he was working out in Atlanta.
As devastating as the loss of Mathis may be, this team must move on without him. He has one year left on his current contract, and hopefully will be able to return next season at full strength. Still, the career of the current NFL’s current reigning sack leader was obviously on the eventual downslope. A career-threatening injury such as this isn’t the end of the world, but is no doubt a big obstacle to overcome.
The question is, where do the Colts go from here? Indianapolis has very little wiggle room, when it comes to trade bait. Teams in the league have already filled out their rosters, and guys off the street who could actually make a difference on the field are few and far between. Do the Colts try to trade backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to the reeling St. Louis Rams, in return for a defensive player?
The hard truth is, that Indianapolis will most likely have to fight through the loss, much like Mathis will have to fight through the pain of his rehab.