Hunter Wohler wasn't supposed to be such an important piece of the Indianapolis Colts. He was a seventh-round pick in 2025, after all. He should have been hanging on the bottom of the roster, but instead, he became a fan favorite without playing in a real game in his rookie season.
He did this by playing with frenetic energy and doing anything he could to earn a roster spot. He was one of the fans: Striving for success by using every ounce of his talent, no matter what field he might have worked in. Then he got hurt in Indy's second preseason game and was done for the season.
He suffered a Lisfranc foot injury, the kind that takes a player months to be able to come close to participating in practice or games again. Wohler still isn't back, and, when speaking to the media this week, he expressed that he hopes he can return by training camp.
Hunter Wohler gets real about trying to get back to playing for the Indianapolis Colts
The road to full recovery hasn't just been difficult physically; there has been an emotional toll as well.
"There were some days where I just didn’t want to be in the building at all," Wholer told The Athletic's James Boyd. "And some days where I just felt like I was never gonna get better...(The trainers) did a great job keeping my head up."
A player who was a first-round choice might not have been so stressed about getting hurt. While they obviously wouldn't have wanted to be injured, they also would understand their place on the roster was secure. Hunter Wohler didn't have that luxury.
He still doesn't. Even after not playing as a rookie, he was still projected to have a good chance to start for the Indianapolis Colts in 2026. That path was wiped away by the team choosing LSU's AJ Haulcy in the third round. Now, Wohler has to prove himself again as a backup.
His cause wasn't helped by general manager Chris Ballard signing Juanyeh Thomas and Jonathan Owens in free agency. While neither has ever proven to have the ability to be a long-time starter, Owens, for one, has shown he can be quite good on special teams. To make the team, Wohler will need to show the same thing.
Wohler's future might be based on the decision the Colts have as to how many safeties to keep on the 53-man roster. If that is four, Wohler might be on the outside looking in. If it's five, he should be safe.
The other potential option is for Wohler to start on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and miss the first several games of next season. At least then, the second-year pro would know that the Colts likely see him as a longtime piece of the team, as the other option would simply be to release Hunter Wohler.
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