Indianapolis Colts Place John Simon on Injured Reserve

John Simon was off to a great start in his first season with the Colts, but his season was derailed by a neck injury that has now ended his season.

One of general manager Chris Ballard’s priorities in his first offseason as the head of the Indianapolis front office was to improve the Colts’ pass rush. He did this by signing two underrated pass rushers in Jabaal Sheard and John Simon who had both lived up to their contracts in 2017.

John Simon was stuck behind elite defensive linemen like J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney during his time with the Texans. He relished his chance to be an every-down player this season and racked up 3 sacks through the first 6 games of the year, and he also returned an interception for a touchdown against the Titans.

Unfortunately, Simon injured his next in Week 7’s loss to the Jaguars that kept him out until he Week 12’s rematch against Tennessee. He’s played in the last two games with a neck pad, but he suffered a separate shoulder injury in Sunday’s game that will end his 2017 season.

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The Colts could possibly get out of Simon’s contract without much of a penalty this offseason, but I think he’s proven he’s a very good player and Indianapolis would like to keep him if this shoulder injury isn’t a long-term issue.

If Simon can get healthy and return in 2018, his contract could prove to be a fantastic move by Chris Ballard.