Malik Hooker Injured on First Day of Training Camp

The Colts have had enough bad luck with injuries already, but the bad news continues as Malik Hooker was hurt during his conditioning test.

Malik Hooker underwent multiple offseason surgeries to repair a sports hernia and a separate shoulder injury. These health concerns may explain Hooker’s surprising drop to the 15th overall pick in the draft after he was widely regarded as a top-10 prospect.

It didn’t take long for those injury concerns to come back to haunt him as Hooker tweaked his hamstring during a conditioning test on the first day of the Colts’ training camp. The Colts have added Hooker to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with his most recent ailment.

With Hooker on the sidelines, the safety position is a major question mark heading into training camp.

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Clayton Geathers has already been added to the regular season PUP list, which will keep him sidelined for at least the Colts’ first six games.

Hooker desperately needs to pick up some reps if the Colts are going to put him in the starting lineup this season and expect him to be a difference-maker.

With Hooker and Geathers both unable to practice, Zak Keefer reports that Matthias Farley and Darius Butler will start camp as the starting safeties while T.J. Green sits behind them on the depth chart.

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It’s surprising to see Farley listed above Green on the depth chart after Green was taken in the second round of last year’s draft. However, Green was a Ryan Grigson draft pick and the Colts don’t feel any obligation to stick with him if he doesn’t perform.

Darius Butler played well at safety last season, but the battle between Farley and Green for the other spot is quite concerning.

We don’t know the exact extent of Hooker’s injury, but his addition to the PUP list indicates he could miss some significant time.

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