The Indianapolis Colts have been ravaged by injuries at training camp.
To start things off, center Ryan Kelly is expected to miss a few weeks after suffering an elbow injury just a couple days into camp. Kelly is paramount to what the Colts do offensively, and his status has really flown under the radar in terms of significance.
To make matter worse, Carson Wentz could spend two or three months on the sidelines after going under the knife to repair a broken bone in his foot. That dagger to the heart was quickly followed with news that Quenton Nelson would undergo a similar procedure.
Nelson was given the same recovery timetable as Wentz (between 5-12 weeks), so the star left guard will have his work cut out for him to be active for Week 1.
Colts fans know better than to write Nelson off, and the former No. 6 overall pick reassured everyone in a fiery Instagram post that he’s going to fight tooth and nail to be ready.
#Colts All-Pro guard @BigQ56 weighs in post-surgery: “F — k that.” pic.twitter.com/sTjmLBow70
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2021
Colts fans will love Quenton Nelson’s latest Instagram post.
That caption sums up everything Colts fans love about Nelson. Though he comes off as a compassionate guy off the field, he’s the ultimate competitor and will do anything for the betterment of the team, even if it means grinding through a grueling rehab process.
We certainly aren’t going to bet against Nelson. As soon as he’s out of the boot (if he hasn’t already shed it), you can guarantee he’ll work 24/7 to get back to full strength. After all, we’re talking about a player who’s missed one game in six years dating back to his days at Notre Dame.
Doesn’t that give you the feeling he’ll be out there for Week 1? That would be massive for the Colts, who are currently down THREE starters on the offensive line.
We already mentioned Kelly’s elbow injury, but the Colts are also without Eric Fisher, who was signed late in free agency to be the starting left tackle, as he works his way back from Achilles surgery. The current expectation is that Fisher will be back a few weeks into the season.
Colts guard Quenton Nelson eyes Week 1 return after undergoing foot surgery: "No time for pity"https://t.co/XWBkMgXqDU pic.twitter.com/cNbtiNzSa6
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 4, 2021
By the way, the last thing we want is Nelson to rush through his rehab and risk his long-term health in the process. The most important thing is that the world-beating guard returns at 100%, and without risk of re-injuring himself. In that case, we’d rather him miss a game or two.
His starting spot will be waiting for him when he gets back.
Indianapolis Colts: Who will replace Quenton Nelson at left guard?
Someone will need to replace injured Indianapolis Colts star guard Quenton Nelson, but who is capable of rising to the challenge?