Colts fans, it’s time to officially welcome back Kemoko Turay.
On Monday it was announced that the Indianapolis Colts would be activating Kemoko Turay off the PUP list in preparation of the team’s Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers, which was a delight for fans who have been following his arduous journey.
Turay, a former second-round pick out of Rutgers, has been out of action since Week 5 of last year when he suffered a gruesome season-ending ankle injury in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs. When he hit the practice field a few weeks ago, fans were amped, but then head coach Frank Reich said Turay wouldn’t be thrown into game action just yet.
Well, if the defensive end’s Twitter account is any indication, it seems as if he’ll log his first NFL game since last October this coming Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.
It’s great to be back playing. Lord knows how hard I work just to be back on the field again 🙏🏽... take nothing for granted cause you never know when it’s taken from you ... thanks for all my fans supporting me through this tuff road #grind #faith #purpose
— Kemoko Turay (@Kturay_58) November 16, 2020
That’s gotta hit you right in the feels. It’s been 13 months since he’s stepped on the field to play defense for the Colts. While we can expect to see him in limited action this Sunday, anything is a plus when looking at this from the perspective of his progress.
Pundits and reporters have long been wondering what Indy’s defense would look like with Turay in the mix alongside Justin Houston and the newly-acquired DeForest Buckner. He only played a handful of games with Houston last year and has yet to log any with Buckner. And don’t forget about the surging Grover Stewart! This unit is scary.
With Turay adding more pressure, the Colts will have the luxury of blitzing even less than they already do (fifth-lowest rate in the NFL). In 18 career games (three starts), the 25-year-old has recorded 20 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 18 QB hits and two forced fumbles.
#Colts to activate DE Kemoko Turay from PUP list https://t.co/3QfyVLCNkL
— TheColtsWire (@TheColtsWire) November 16, 2020
Expect that production to skyrocket once he’s back up to speed and playing among these other defensive studs. If he can capitalize on his one-on-one matchups while guys like Houston, Buckner and Stewart attract all the double teams, the Colts defense might be the unquestioned top unit in the NFL when the season comes to a close.
Frank Reich perfectly played Kemoko Turay’s injury situation
Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich couldn't have played defensive end Kemoko Turay's injury situation any better as the team heads down the stretch.