The beginning of Colts training camp has been littered with injuries, and another name was added to the injury report on Thursday.
We’ve talked at length this offseason about how Donte Moncrief is poised for a breakout season, and possibly his first Pro Bowl appearance. However, those predictions have always come with the assumption that he could stay healthy.
Moncrief missed seven games last season with injuries to his hamstring and shoulder.
He was reportedly looking good at the beginning of training camp before he suffered another shoulder injury spraining his AC joint at Thursday’s practice.
Moncrief out with a mild AC sprain in his shoulder, per Pagano. He's day to day. #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) August 4, 2017
Luckily Moncrief does not have a lengthy injury history. He played in all 16 games in each of his first two NFL seasons, and he never missed a game during his three-year career at Ole Miss.
With Andrew Luck possibly sidelined for the beginning of the regular season, the Colts offense can’t afford to lose another weapon.
The Colts have said Moncrief’s shoulder sprain is a “mild” one, and head coach Chuck Pagano has listed him as day to day.
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Moncrief’s (hopefully brief) absence from practice will open up some reps for those players fighting for the third spot on the WR depth chart.
Chester Rogers has surprisingly become the favorite to win that job, and now the Colts will likely see him take snaps as the team’s number two receiver.
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With Moncrief’s injury, Kamar Aiken and Phillip Dorsett will begin to take more reps with the first-team offense. We may be able to determine which one of them is in the lead for the fourth wide receiver spot by who gets the most snaps with the first-team unit with Moncrief on the sideline.
Unlike Andrew Luck and Clayton Geathers‘ injuries, it looks like Moncrief should have a quick recovery and get back on the field for a couple of preseason games.