The Colts will take advantage of the NFL’s new IR rule, but the player they have in mind for a return is quite interesting. Despite Samson Ebukam Although Indianapolis suffered a torn Achilles tendon, the club does not rule out a return.
Ebukam was out in late July, but rather than bench him for the entire season, the Colts are keeping open the possibility of a late-season comeback. Indy plans to place Ebukam on the injured list and allow him to return, according to Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. That means the Colts will immediately lose one of their eight injury-related appearances.
Indianapolis is not satisfied with Ebukam here. The team also plans to add linebacker Cameron McGrone on the IR with a return designation, Erickson adds. This will reduce the Colts’ preseason IR return transfers from eight to six.
Players who landed on the injured list before the 53-man rosters were set were no longer in contention for those teams, but the NFL passed a rule that allows teams to designate two players to return before the final 53 players emerge. Any player placed on the injured list with that designation immediately counts toward a team’s activation total, regardless of whether he returns or not. That appears to be at play with Ebukam, who faces a lengthy rehab.
Ebukam delivered his best season in 2023, totaling 9.5 sacks, helping the Colts to a top-five finish in that category. The team still has good depth here, with Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and first-round players Laiatu Latin in the mix. But Ebukam is clearly seen as important. Cam Akers suffered a torn Achilles tendon in late July 2021 and actually returned towards the end of the regular season. However, he did not show good form upon his return. The Ravens and 49ers saw Terrell Suggs And Michael Crabtreeare returning from Achilles tendon tears in the offseason. But both players were injured long before July in 2012 and 2013.
It is interesting that the Colts are willing to burn another IR return move for McGrone, a special teamer who played 152 defensive snaps last season. They will not Jelani Forests an IR return player. Turf toe damage that led to recent surgery will keep him out of that. The Colts are putting the third-year tight end on IR without him being designated as a return player, tweets Mike Chappell of Fox59.
