Injuries leaving Colts wondering what could have been
By Ryan Stano
If it weren’t for injuries, this team had the talent to be a Super Bowl contender. Now after twelve games, they are just a sad shell of themselves.
Injuries are a part of the game of football. They have been since the invention of the game. But I’m not sure any team, certainly any Colts team, has been decimated with injuries the way the 2019 Colts have. It completely derailed any chance of success this season.
It started before training camp. Andrew Luck had a calf injury that evolved into an ankle injury. It ended up being the straw that broke the camel’s back and led to him retiring immediately after the third preseason game. All of a sudden, the Colts were down their franchise quarterback.
It didn’t slow down after that. T.Y. Hilton suffered through a hamstring injury that eventually forced him out of the game against Oakland at halftime. He now is fighting a calf injury that has cost him three of the last four games. He wouldn’t be the last receiver to go down with an injury.
The first receiver to go down was Devin Funchess. He broke his collarbone in week one, and that was the only game he played as a Colt. He was placed on IR just recently. Parris Campbell has fought an assortment of injuries in his rookie year, including a hamstring and now a broken hand. Chester Rogers‘ season is now over because of a knee injury.
The defense was missing Jabaal Sheard for the first three games. Pierre Desir missed three games. Malik Hooker missed a month. Tyquan Lewis missed the first few games. It has just been a cornucopia of injuries that has destroyed this team.
It robbed us a chance of finding out just how talented this team is. They never got a chance to show what their full tilt looked like. For God’s sake they had to play Brian Hoyer for a game because Jacoby Brissett even got hurt. This team seems to be cursed.
It’s a shame that this team never got to show how good they could’ve been. Now it’s time for them to prepare for next year.