AFC South

The Indianapolis Colts announced Saturday that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. will miss the team's Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with a quad injury.

Pittman was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday before sitting out practice sessions on Thursday and Friday.

As the Colts' unquestioned No. 1 wideout, Pittman recorded nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown in Indy's Week 1 tie against the Houston Texans.

Expectations were high for Pittman entering the 2021 season, as he showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie campaign, finishing with 40 receptions for 503 yards and one touchdown, as well as five grabs for 90 yards in Indy's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Pittman didn't disappoint during his sophomore season, as he leveled up to 88 receptions for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games.

The Colts didn't have a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft after trading it to the San Francisco 49ers for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, but when they were on the clock for the first time in the second round at No. 34 overall, they used the selection on Pittman.

Pittman was considered a borderline first-round prospect after a standout collegiate career at USC. He was especially good as a senior in 2019, finishing with 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns.

By taking the 6'4", 223-pound Pittman, the Colts added some much-needed talent and size to their receiving corps.

It didn't take long for Pittman to establish himself as the Colts No. 1 wideout, taking that role in his second season and retaining it this season.

Indianapolis has some other talented pieces in its receiving corps, but none of them have come anywhere close to producing at the level Pittman has during his young NFL career.

Losing Pittman for any period of time isn't ideal, and it will require Parris Campbell, Dezmon Patmon, Mike Strachan and Ashton Dulin to step up. The Colts may also lean more heavily on tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Jelani Woods in the passing game.

With rookie receiver Alec Pierce also out due to a concussion, look for Indy to potentially go even more run-heavy as well with running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines leading the way.

Even when Matt Ryan is being recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he is still the butt of the joke.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback topped 60,000 career passing yards on Sunday, making the game-used ball a piece of memorabilia as the eighth player to reach the milestone.

🗣 New to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

This past weekend, @Colts QB @M_Ryan02 became only the eighth QB in NFL history to reach 60,000 career passing yards.

The ball with which he passed this milestone is now in display in Canton. pic.twitter.com/gZmhdCLk68

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) September 14, 2022

The problem is the football was numbered "283," causing many to recall the 28-3 lead Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons had before losing to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.

Matt Ryan's 60,000 career passing yards ball is now on display in Canton.

Can't escape it 😅 @BRGridiron

(via @ProFootballHOF) pic.twitter.com/FiJd6eHUME

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 15, 2022

The ball number is 283 hahahahaha https://t.co/MoLFIrr1bH

— David Gardner (@byDavidGardner) September 15, 2022

Fitting https://t.co/w8cANmeEQY pic.twitter.com/T9kyFMTIVd

— Pats Pulpit (@patspulpit) September 15, 2022

Matt Ryan seeing the number pic.twitter.com/07uUERmsDo

— 🇸🇴🐍🗡️ (@aykeepitabuck) September 15, 2022

You can take him out of Atlanta.
You can't take the Atlanta from him.
That is such an unfortunate number. https://t.co/rfhm3DfAuk

— Jack Patterson (@JPattersonTV) September 15, 2022

Matt Ryan getting torched by the HOF with that ball number is the amusement I needed today. https://t.co/xrxXo3TMDC

— Dave Worlin (@daveworlin) September 15, 2022

It's unlikely this was an intentional troll job by the Hall of Fame, but fans on social media won't let a moment like this pass without getting in their jokes.

Ryan has four Pro Bowl selections, an MVP award in 2016 and is in the top 10 of NFL history in both passing yards (60,087) and passing touchdowns (368), but he likely won't be able to live down his team's epic Super Bowl collapse.

Rodrigo Blankenship's third season with the Indianapolis Colts reportedly didn't last long.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Colts decided to waive the kicker on Tuesday. Blankenship made both of his extra points and two of his three field-goal attempts during Sunday's 20-20 tie with the Houston Texans, but his miss on a 42-yarder in overtime proved critical as the Colts were unable to secure a victory in Week 1.

Pelissero also reported the Colts signed kickers Chase McLaughlin and Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad and plan on using one of them for their Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star previously reported the Colts also tried out Josh Lambo and Matthew Wright on Tuesday.

While Lambo has made 87.1 percent of his career field goals and made headlines last year for alleging former Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer kicked him during the preseason, he also played just seven combined games in 2020 and 2021.

The ability to kick off may be a deciding point for Indianapolis as it moves on from Blankenship, who kicked two out of bounds during the matchup with the Texans.

He kicked off because of punter Rigoberto Sanchez's season-ending Achilles tear.

Blankenship appeared well on his way to establishing himself as a key figure for the Colts' special teams for the foreseeable future when he made 86.5 percent of his field goals and 95.6 percent of his extra points as a rookie in 2020.

However, a hip injury limited him to just five games in 2021, and his percentages dropped to 78.6 percent on field goals and 87.5 percent on extra points in a smaller sample size.

Sunday was a less-than-ideal start to the campaign for him as well, and the Colts are apparently turning in a different direction as they look to compete in the AFC South.

Fantasy managers looking to add some depth at running back following Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season should consider taking a look into Tennessee Titans veteran Dontrell Hilliard.

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, the 27-year-old had already posted two carries for eight yards and caught three passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns against the New York Giants.

Despite a lack of yardage on the ground, it was a solid outing for Hilliard.

Derrick Henry serves as Tennessee's top running back, but Hilliard figures to continue playing a larger pass-catching role out of the backfield for the Titans moving forward.

Hilliard is rostered in just six percent of Yahoo Sports' fantasy leagues, so he should be available.

However, Hilliard shouldn't necessarily be used in either of the two starting running back spots unless it's absolutely necessary given injuries to other players. He would be a solid pickup for the bench, especially as the season continues.

Furthermore, Henry suffered a foot injury last season and only appeared in eight games. If he goes down again, Hilliard will prove to be a valuable pickup moving forward.

Hilliard went undrafted out of Tulane and spent the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Houston Texans in 2020.

The 27-year-old appeared in eight games for the Titans during the 2021 campaign and rushed for 350 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to catching 19 passes for 87 yards.

The Indianapolis Colts looked like they were on their way to a disappointing loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, but veteran quarterback Matt Ryan had other plans.

The 37-year-old helped lead a comeback that saw the Colts score 17 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime, which ended in a 20-20 tie.

Through the first three quarters of Sunday's game, Ryan and the rest of the offense struggled to build any momentum. Turnovers didn't help, as Ryan threw an interception in the first half and then lost a fumble in the third quarter.

The former NFL MVP had no issues putting his early mistakes behind him when it was crunch time. Ryan opened the fourth quarter by engineering an 11-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a field goal.

On the ensuing possession, Indianapolis' stout defense made its presence felt by recovering a fumble by Texans quarterback Davis Mills deep in Houston territory. Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor capped a four-play drive with a two-yard touchdown.

The Indianapolis defense stepped up once again and forced Houston to punt after five plays with under five minutes left on the clock. Ryan and the Colts marched down the field and the signal-caller found Michael Pittman Jr. for the game-tying score with less than two minutes remaining.

Tied ballgame.

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/M26ZLKgDlb

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 11, 2022

In overtime, Indianapolis had a prime opportunity to win the game. After Houston's first possession ended with a punt, Ryan and the Colts ate the clock with a 13-play drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. However, Rodrigo Blankenship's 42-yard attempt sailed wide right.

After such a disappointing start to the game, the Colts can take some solace with the fight they showed toward the end. Indianapolis will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday, while Houston will face the Denver Broncos.

Davis Mills and O.J. Howard are having themselves a day.

The two had combined for two touchdowns at the time of publication during Sunday's matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, which perhaps had fantasy players raising their eyebrows and wondering if both deserved closer scrutiny and a roster spot.

Davis Mills to OJ Howard for SIX!

The @HoustonTexans take the lead over the Colts ‼️👏

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/3K0HwZMpCp

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 11, 2022

Davis Mills and OJ Howard connect for their second TD today! #WeAreTexans

📺: #INDvsHOU on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/iKfdvFJXYV pic.twitter.com/Y7Y7T7CSsu

— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2022

We'll start with Howard. The argument for the veteran tight end is that the Texans aren't exactly brimming with offensive playmakers, and his early connection with Mills is a good sign.

Howard has shown flashes of being a solid option at the position in the past, scoring 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons and 24 games. But injuries, the addition of Rob Gronkowski and a general collection of weapons in Tampa Bay made him a complete fantasy non-factor the past three seasons.

So OJ Howard does know how to play TE…?

— Bradley Gelber (@BradleyGelber) September 11, 2022

Good throw from Davis Mills on the TD pass to OJ Howard set up by the Jerry Hughes interception.

WHAT A SENTENCE LOL

— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) September 11, 2022

Perhaps a change of scenery has done him good. But keep in mind that Howard's two touchdown receptions came on his only two receptions of the day, at least at the time of publication. Touchdown reliance is a fickle mistress for fantasy players, whereas consistent targets generally indicate a large role in the offense.

So if you are hurting at tight end, Howard is a fine speculative add. Just don't be shocked if he doesn't give you much more than TE2 numbers this season.

OJ Howard:

9 snaps
2 targets
2 catches
2 TDs

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) September 11, 2022

OJ Howard has 2 TDs in week 1.
I would have bet limbs against that.
Multiple limbs.

— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) September 11, 2022

Mills is a more interesting call. His 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie in 2021 aren't going to raise the hairs on a fantasy player's arms. But again, he was a rookie. He closed last season with 301 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans. There is potential here.

Should he be rostered? In two-QB leagues, absolutely. Beyond that, it's probably a bit early to consider him in the QB2 conversation, so no. But monitor him closely. There is perhaps some upside here, especially come the bye weeks.

The Indianapolis Colts agreed to a four-year, $80 million extension with three-time All-Pro Quenton Nelson on Saturday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal includes $60 million guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid guard in NFL history in terms of average annual value.

Nelson, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft, was approaching the end of his rookie contract. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Aug. 10 that the Colts were looking to give him a new deal and were hopeful of getting something done by the end of the month.

The 26-year-old was in a great position to become the highest-paid guard in the league, surpassing Brandon Scherff's $16.5 million average salary.

Fowler reported in June that Nelson was expected to "break the bank." Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton projected him to get $95 million over five years.

Coming out of the 2017 season, the Colts clearly needed to address the offensive line. They ranked 18th in adjusted line yards and 32nd in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Nelson provided an immediate impact, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors and finishing third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Indianapolis also improved to fourth in adjusted line yards and second in adjusted sack rate in 2018.

Nelson's performance hasn't fallen off since then. He has been particularly dominant as a pass-blocker, providing consistency to a passing game that has seen a lot of turnover at quarterback.

4 seasons
4 sacks allowed

Quenton Nelson is unreal 🤯 pic.twitter.com/HfpkrrB1ME

— PFF (@PFF) February 23, 2022

Heading into the 2022 season, Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson ranked Nelson as the 11th-best player in the NFL at any position:

"Nelson has as much talent as any offensive lineman in the game, but we didn’t see a fully healthy version of him in 2021. At his best, he is a unique force in the running game and a very high-level pass blocker, but he needs to bounce back in 2022 now that he is back to full health."

The former Notre Dame standout missed three games in October 2021 because of a high-ankle sprain and landed on the COVID-19 reserve list in Week 16 ahead of a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

There's little reason to think Nelson is a risky long-term investment, though. He made 51 straight starts to open his career. He has also more than earned a big raise through his on-field contributions, too.

Re-signing Nelson wasn't a cheap endeavor for the Colts, but it was clearly an easy decision, given his value to the team.

Locking in his salary figure will also help general manager Chris Ballard know how much he has to spend in 2024. Grover Stewart, Kenny Moore II, Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor are all due to become free agents.

Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson is reportedly expected to make a record $20 million per year when he signs a new contract.

According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, executives and agents across the league are anticipating that salary for Nelson, which would set a record for an interior offensive lineman.

La Canfora also reported that Nelson and the Colts have been working to get a deal done before their season-opening game at the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Nelson is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2022, and he will play at a salary of $13.8 million after the Colts exercised the fifth-year option in his deal.

Indy made Nelson the No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft out of Notre Dame, and he has lived up to his draft status and then some.

In four NFL seasons, Nelson is a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. Last season was the first time he failed to achieve first-team All-Pro status, and that may be primarily because he missed four games, marking the first occasion he missed time during his NFL career.

The 26-year-old still earned second-team All-Pro honors, and he played a huge role in the success of the Colts running game.

With Nelson paving the way, running back Jonathan Taylor led the league with 332 carries, 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in only his second season.

Indianapolis was also second in the NFL with 149.4 rushing yards per game, plus it ranked ninth in scoring despite suspect quarterback play at times from Carson Wentz.

The Colts perhaps upgraded the quarterback position during the offseason by acquiring 2016 MVP Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons, and Nelson will play a sizable role in protecting the veteran.

Indianapolis has the option of placing the franchise tag on Nelson for 2023 if a long-term deal can't be reached, but given his status as an elite player, it seems likely that the Colts would love to lock him in for the long haul.

Two days before the start of their NFL season, the Tennessee Titans have given safety Amani Hooker a new contract.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Hooker has agreed to a three-year extension worth more than $33 million.

Hooker has been a development success story during his first three seasons with the Titans. He was a fourth-round draft pick out of Iowa in 2019 and appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, but he played in a rotation behind starters Kevin Byard and Kenny Vaccaro.

The 2022 season was Hooker's final year under his rookie deal. His new contract ties him to the Titans through 2025.

After playing primarily as a backup in the rotation again in 2020, Hooker moved into the starting lineup last season. The 24-year-old started all 12 games he played and fared well in Pro Football Focus' wins-above-replacement metric:

https://twitter.com/PFF_Eric/status/1568241639495434242

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus named Hooker as the sixth-best all-around safety in the NFL coming into this season.

Hooker finished 2021 with 62 combined tackles, four pass breakups and one interception. He was instrumental in the Titans' defense, ranking sixth in the NFL in points allowed (20.8 per game) and earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record.

Things are going to look different for the Titans on offense in 2022. They traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason. Derrick Henry will be looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2021.

If the Titans are going to get back to the playoffs this season, Hooker and the defense are going to have to play at a high level. Hooker's extension suggests the organization strongly believes in his ability to be an anchor in the secondary for several years.

After suffering a torn Achilles late last season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson is set to return sooner than most might have expected.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Monday that Robinson "definitely" will play in the team's Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

While Robinson's return is surely a welcome sight for the Jaguars offense, he's not expected to see a substantial workload in his first few outings. Pederson indicated in late August that he plans on easing Robinson back into team's rushing attack, saying, "I don’t think you go full steam ahead. I think you gradually increase his reps."

Robinson has been Jacksonville's lead back in his first two NFL seasons, but he will cede those duties this year to Travis Etienne Jr., who is fully healthy after missing his entire rookie year with a foot injury. Fantasy football managers are hoping for a big year from Etienne, but Robinson's presence could complicate things.

The third-year speedster has totaled 1,837 rushing yards over his first two seasons, so he's known to be a dependable ball-carrier. He's also a solid receiver out of the backfield. When healthy, Robinson could end up taking carries away from Etienne, who is considered more of a big-play threat.

It appears that the Jaguars don't have a set plan for splitting the workload among their running backs and will rather feed whoever has the hot hand on any given day.

"We have a vision for what we hope it is,” offensive coordinator Press Taylor said of the team's rushing attack. “You kind of always envision what you're going to do when everybody's healthy, but until we get to that point and we see everybody in there and everybody is available on game day, then you kind of just have to go with what you have in that particular availability for that game."