Chris Ballard says TY Hilton still wants to play for Colts
Indianapolis Colts general manager, Chris Ballard, spoke on the future of receiver TY Hilton.
The NFL world has arrived in Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine. As a part of the festivities, coaches and general managers hold press conferences for the media.
Tuesday afternoon, Indianapolis Colts general manager, Chris Ballard, took his time to speak with the media. While the majority of the questions were about the Colts’ future with Carson Wentz, Ballard dropped some important news about another Indianapolis player.
He shared with the media that when he spoke with veteran receiver, TY Hilton, a couple of weeks ago, Hilton still wanted to play football for Indy.
Chris Ballard: As of a couple of weeks ago, TY Hilton wanted to keep playing. Would potentially be a 10th season in Indianapolis.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 1, 2022
TY Hilton may return to Colts for another year
Hilton, soon to be a free agent, has been openly contemplating retirement but hasn’t made an official decision. Based on Ballard’s statement, it appears that Hilton is leaning towards a return, however, Ballard did say that he will speak with Hilton again in a couple of weeks.
If Hilton does return, it will be his 11th season in the NFL, all with the Colts. He has been a cornerstone for Indianapolis, emerging as one of the league’s best receivers over the last decade.
Since joining Indy in 2012, Hilton has played in 143 regular-season games, catching 631 passes for 9,691 yards, and 53 touchdowns. In his 10 seasons, Hilton has made four Pro Bowls and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in a season five times.
Last season, 2021, was Hilton’s worst season of his career statistically. He played in only 10 games and caught 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns.
However, Ballard attributes the dip in production to the neck injury that Hilton sustained last year that caused him to open the season on injured reserve.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Ballard said that Hilton “can still play.” He did admit that Hilton may not have the same physical attributes that he did four or five years ago but cites Hilton’s IQ and instincts as reasons he can still be a productive receiver.
Productive receivers are one of the Colts’ biggest needs, so if a healthy Hilton can return, Indy would certainly welcome him. His official decision is yet to be made, but it will be one of the important steps in the Colts offseason.
