Tyler Warren has been used a bunch as a rookie by the Indianapolis Colts. This is as it should be. He was a high first-round draft pick and has performed as well as hoped. The concern was whether too much use might force him to miss time, as he is going to get banged up.
On Wednesday, ahead of Week 3's showdown versus the AFC South rivals Tennessee Titans, Warren gave Colts fans a scare as he missed practice. He was listed with a toe injury, and those could be long-lasting.
Of course, the reality of the situation was likely to be that the team was simply resting the rookie. The NFL season is long after all, and if a player has the scheme down well, there isn't any reason to have them over-practice. Mid-week rest is going to be necessary.
Things appear all good with Indianapolis Colts rookie Tyler Warren
That appears to be the case with Tyler Warren. He was back at practice on Thursday and appeared to have no issues moving around the field. In other words, this is a classic example of an NFL team not giving too much information on a situation that didn't really deserve much attention.
Warren is likely to be just fine versus the Titans in Nashville in Week 3. So far through two games, Tennessee has allowed 10 receptions to tight ends and 77 yards. Neither of those numbers ranks in the top of the NFL, but the Titans haven't yet faced a tight end of Warren's ability.
This is especially true about how much and how well the Indianapolis Colts are likely to use the rookie. Heck, the team was so well-prepared to get Tyler Warren involved that he caught three passes in the Colts' first drive of the season. In his first game, he set a record for receptions by a rookie tight end (7).
Based on Warren resting on Wednesday ahead of Week 3, Colts fans should probably get used to seeing the rookie's name quite a bit on midweek injury reports. He is going to be productive this season, and he is also probably going to be rested quite a bit, too, without any real injury issues.