The Indianapolis Colts spent the first and second waves of free agency spectating from the sidelines as several contenders around the NFL bolstered their respective rosters.
Even some of the league’s bottom-feeders have gotten busy, which says a lot about the Colts’ inactivity.
However, the latest buzz suggests that a big move is on the horizon for Indy.
Not only is wide receiver Sammy Watkins coming in for a visit this week, but insider Ian Rapoport reported this week that the team is expressing interest in bringing back TY Hilton.
It remains to be seen if the Colts would like to finalize deals for both players. If not, this rumor further thickens the plot surrounding Hilton’s free agency. Speaking of which, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star recently reported a damning summation of the three-time Pro Bowler’s market.
Per the report, Hilton is not only struggling to gauge interest outside of Indy, but a reliable source surmised that he ends up signing for less than what AJ Green received from the Cardinals (one-year for $6 million, with $2M in incentives).
As a result, Hilton, who’s been very active on social media since the start of free agency, responded by questioning Ayello’s credibility on Twitter.
Whose ur source
— TY Hilton (@TYHilton13) March 24, 2021
Free agent wideout TY Hilton flamed a Colts beat writer on social media.
We totally get Hilton wanting to second-guess reports that don’t necessarily portray him in a positive light, but calling out Ayello for doing his job — which includes sniffing around the league for some insight into a player’s market (or lack thereof) — isn’t a great look for the nine-year pro.
The report was the epitome of impartial. It wasn’t published as a slight to Hilton, who should understand that a 31-year-old receiver with an extensive injury history is finding it difficult to land a deal (in a slow-moving market) that reflects what he believes he can still bring to the table.
"“When IndyStar reached out to some veteran NFL agents to make educated guesses as to how the Hilton saga might come to an end, more than one suggested it would be with Hilton playing somewhere other than Indianapolis,” Ayello wrote.“A few of them said they believe that with the cap down 8% from last season, it will ultimately be Hilton, now 31 years old, who ends up having to settle for much less than NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested he might be able to get by waiting ($9 million) until after the NFL Draft to sign with a team.”"
Perhaps Hilton’s tweet wasn’t as antagonizing as initially perceived, but Ayello made sure the former second-round pick knew where his intel came from. As of this writing, Hilton has yet to respond, which suggests he feels bad for questioning the Indy Star reporter’s integrity in front of his 125,000-plus followers.
An agent. Just one man's opinion of the market.
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) March 24, 2021
Whatever the case, the fact that Hilton seemingly took offense to a report that claimed he won’t re-sign with the Colts proves that his heart desires a reunion.
Whether that happens is up for debate, but that is perhaps the biggest takeaway fans should have from this unplanned exchange.
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