When Will Robert Mathis Return to the Field?

On of the biggest questions for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason swirls around the health of Robert Mathis. Without his presence, the Colts struggled to generate a pass rush all season long.

Mathis was forced to serve out a four game suspension to start the season for failing a drug test. During the first week of his suspension, Mathis tore his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season.

We’ve since heard that Mathis suffered a setback in his recovery. Mike Wells at ESPN had more details in his mailbag piece.

"I was told Robert Mathis didn’t re-tear his Achilles (there were some rumors about that), but he did suffer a slight setback. The road to recovery for him is a long one because he’s no longer in his mid-20’s. Mathis will be 34 years old on Feb. 26 (…) It’s unknown what type of player Mathis will be once he returns to the field for the Colts."

This confirms the rumors that Mathis had a second surgery around early December. The surgery could have been for any manner of things and its possible it was something as simple as tendinitis.

That said, we have no idea what kind of player Mathis will be when he returns next season. Common thought is that he’ll be ready to play by training camp, but we have no official timetable for his return.

Some have pointed out Ravens Terrell Suggs who ruptured his Achilles in April of 2012. Wells pointed out that he was back on the field by October and that Suggs was 29 at the time of the injury. It took a year for him to get his quick first step back and he wasn’t quite the same player for another year.

With concerns about Mathis’ future, the Colts will have to look at other options to bolster their pass rush. The team sneaked by with pass rush by committee this season, but didn’t have someone who could consistently disrupt a play or change the game.

The Colts have a number of needs to address this offseason, but pass rusher is certainly one of them. With more questions around Mathis, this becomes a more critical need in 2015.