Colts: TY Hilton contract year off to worst start possible

Colts wide receiver TY Hilton’s contract year is off to a terrible start.

Everybody knows that the Indianapolis Colts are a better team with TY Hilton on the field, and the numbers back it up. Last year, they finished 1-5 without him and 6-4 with him. In 2018, they went 0-2 without him and 10-4 with him.

The injuries have piled up in recent seasons for Hilton, and this trend unfortunately reared its ugly head over the weekend when the Colts announced that they placed the 30-year-old wide receiver on the active/non-football injury list with a hamstring injury that he suffered working out on his own this offseason.

We’re not entirely sure how serious the injury is, but it goes without saying that Hilton’s contract year is not off to a promising start.

What’s so concerning about this news is that Hilton has missed time due to a hamstring-related injury on three separate occasions in his career. On top of that, he’s been sidelined for eight games over the last two campaigns due to a slew of leg injuries — including a calf tear and quad strain in 2019 that shelved him for six contests.

The active/non-football injury list designation leaves the door open for Hilton to return to practice once he’s medically cleared. However, the Colts would be forced to place him on the reserve/NFI list if he isn’t off it by the end of the preseason, meaning that he will miss the first six weeks of the year.

Reports suggest that the four-time Pro Bowler suffered just a mild strain and it doesn’t appear that he will miss much time, but the risk of a setback with a hamstring is seemingly greater than any other injury.

Hilton has stated on several occasions that he wants to finish his career with the Colts, and that’s an honor he’s fully earned through his career, as he’s led them in receiving in six of the last seven seasons. This contract could end up being his last as an NFL player, so fans in Indianapolis should be hoping that the former third-round pick bounces back from this injury in short order.

We’d hate to see his contract year ruined by an inability to remain healthy.