Colts: 3 players Indy is already wishing they didn’t get rid of
By Mike Luciano
1. SAF Malik Hooker
When he was healthy, Hooker looked like the rangy playmaker that we saw at Ohio State. However, after consecutive seasons in which he was unable to provide a ton of utility, the Colts decided to declare him a sunk cost and not bring him back for a fifth season, helping open the door for the Cowboys.
Surely, the combination of Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis will be enough to slow Seattle down, right? Nope! Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf both had a field day with those two, slicing and dicing Indy whenever they felt like it. While Hooker was a scratch in Dallas’ loss against the Bucs, that doesn’t mean Hooker is bereft of talent.
Cowboys S Malik Hooker is one of the team's seven inactive players tonight vs. Buccaneers. This is not an indictment of the team’s season expectations for Hooker but rather a reflection of where he is today. https://t.co/BYeCY1SpK7
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 9, 2021
Malik Hooker could’ve helped the Colts’ secondary.
Hooker’s big issue was his health. Assuming that he is 100% and ready to go, he could help cover ground in the secondary, especially in a defense that requires safeties to have tremendous range in zone coverage. Maybe, just maybe, they shouldn’t have been so quick to part with him?
With his fifth-year option already declined and the coaching staff seemingly down on his potential, it may have been hard to convince the braintrust to bring Hooker back this season.
However, the Hooker-less secondary didn’t inspire a ton of confidence in their debut, and it could really come back to bite them later in the season.
