Colts get best possible outcome with latest COVID scare
By Mike Luciano
Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts have been dealing with plenty of adversity in the preseason, as injuries to star players and the COVID-19 pandemic have continued to inflict havoc and chaos on a team trying to unseat the rival Titans at the top of the AFC South this season.
Wentz, who is trying to rehabilitate his stock in the league after a very uneasy end to his career in Philadelphia, just finished up recovering from a foot injury that had some fans wondering if Jacob Eason was going to be under center in Week 1. Right after being cleared to play, Wentz was roped into a COVID-19 fiasco.
Wentz, center Ryan Kelly, and wide receiver Zach Pascal were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after being deemed close contacts with a staff member who tested positive. While this could’ve completely derailed Indy ahead of their opening week preparations, it sounds like all three of them are ready to rock with no health concerns.
The Colts activated Kelly, Wentz, and Pascal from the COVID-19 list, meaning they are on track to play in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. At least this scare wasn’t indicative of a large-scale outbreak that would have decimated the depth chart before the Week 1 matchup.
We have activated C Ryan Kelly, WR Zach Pascal and QB Carson Wentz from the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 2, 2021
We have also placed QB Sam Ehlinger, WR T.Y. Hilton and WR Dezmon Patmon on IR.
The Colts won’t be without Carson Wentz for long.
Wentz, who called revealing his vaccination status a “personal decision” earlier in the offseason leading many to believe COVID could be a serious problem for the team in 2021, will look to return to the MVP level Frank Reich had him at in Philadelphia. As promising as Eason looked in the preseason and as bad as Wentz was last year, no Colts fan wants Eason starting over Wentz right now.
With Quenton Nelson working his way back from injury and the wide receiver depth looking a bit suspect, the fact that Kelly and Pascal likely won’t miss time should help the majority of Colts fans sleep just a bit easier.
Unfortunately, this good news was sandwiched in between the fact that both wide receiver TY Hilton and backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger were placed on injured reserve.
Sam Ehlinger suffered a knee sprain and will recover without any medical procedures in about 5-6 weeks, per source. So if Carson Wentz isn’t ready by week 1, it’ll be Jacob Eason instead of Ehlinger.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2021
While the specter of the pandemic seems unlikely to completely abate in the coming months, the Colts appear to have avoided any sort of catastrophe as it pertains to this one outbreak. Getting vaccinated is all Indy can do to make sure that the chances of a COVID-related postponement are minimal.
According to a Colts insider, we can expect their vaccination rate to increase after a number of players have changed their minds. Stay tuned for more updates on that front.
