T.Y. Hilton - Pro Football Rumors

T.Y. Hilton Wants To Continue Playing

March 2nd, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

Despite the speculation, T.Y. Hilton isn’t thinking about retirement. In recent weeks, the veteran wide receiver informed the Colts that he wants to continue playing, according to GM Chris Ballard.

“T.Y. can still play,” Ballard said (via Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star). “One, he’s about as smart as any player I’ve ever been around. He just knows how to play the game. Even though his skillset isn’t the same as it was three or four years ago, his instincts and his level of understand what’s happening…he knows how to play.”

Hilton is coming off of a forgettable year, one that saw the Colts’ aerial game nosedive in the second half of the season. Injuries limited the four-time Pro Bowler to just 23 catches, 331 yards, and three touchdowns — all career lows. That’s a far cry from his best work, and it’s worth noting that the 32-year-old hasn’t posted a 1,000-yard season since 2018.

Now at the age of 32, Hilton is scheduled to hit the open market later this month. It’s not a given that he’ll stay in Indy, especially if teammate and friend Jack Doyle calls it quits.

“I’m just gonna take some time and talk to Jack and just go through it,” Hilton said in January when asked about the possibility of retirement. “If I want to play one more year, I could play one more year. If not, then I won’t. So [I’ll] just talk to [Doyle], see how he’s feeling and once he makes his decision, I’ll kind of know what I want to do kind of based on him.”

T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle Weighing Retirement

January 12th, 2022 at 5:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely 300 receiving yards from 10,000, T.Y. Hilton is not certain to play next season. The longtime Colts wideout is considering walking away after 10 years.

So is Jack Doyle, who has been in Indianapolis for nine seasons. Interestingly, the two plan to discuss their respective plans before making their own decisions. The veteran tight end is signed through 2022; Hilton is set for free agency again.

“I’m just gonna take some time and talk to Jack and just go through it,” Hilton said, via George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin. “If I want to play one more year, I could play one more year. If not, then I won’t. So [I’ll] just talk to him, see how he’s feeling and once he makes his decision, I’ll kind of know what I want to do kind of based on him.

“Whether it’s here or whether it’s somewhere else, I’ll make my decision some time in the offseason.”

Hilton, 32, received strong interest from the Ravens in 2021 but opted to take a slightly lesser offer — one year, $8MM — to come back to the Colts. This is also not the first time Hilton considered walking away. The neck injury he suffered last summer, the latest in a recent run of injuries, sidelined him for the season’s first five weeks. During that time, he contemplated leaving the game.

The former third-round pick returned to action in October, and although his numbers were way down (23 catches, 331 yards, three touchdowns — all career-lows), the longest-tenured Colt still played a key role. While Hilton is 309 yards away from 10,000 — a club currently housing 50 players — the four-time Pro Bowler is behind only Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in Colts history. The Colts have moved to Michael Pittman Jr. as their top wideout. Regardless of Hilton’s plans, his age, Zach Pascal‘s UFA status and Parris Campbell‘s health history certainly makes wide receiver a need for the Colts this offseason.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Doyle played 58% of the Colts’ offensive snaps this season. Pro Football Focus did not observe a decline in Doyle’s blocking, slotting him as a top-five run-blocker at his position. That obviously proved key for the run-focused Colts, who unleashed Jonathan Taylor to the point he finished with a 552-yard lead for the rushing title. Doyle, 31, is set to make $4.7MM in base salary next season.

Colts’ Tyquan Lewis Done For Year

November 1st, 2021 at 1:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Colts defensive tackle Tyquan Lewis will miss the rest of the year with a patellar tendon injury. Lewis will be placed on injured reserve later today, opening up a spot on the 53-man roster.

“Really unfortunate, he was really playing well yesterday,” head coach Frank Reich said (Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star).

Lewis suffered the injury on Sunday as the Colts fell to the Titans in overtime. The 6’4″ Ohio State product will finish his year with 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss across eight games (two starts). It’s a frustrating setback for Lewis, who finally found his footing in the Colts’ rotation last year. In 2020, Lewis registered 24 stops, four sacks, and two passes defensed while appearing in all 16 of the Colts’ games.

Meanwhile, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (concussion) will be held out of this week’s game against the Jets. Hilton, who has missed much of the season, has six catches for 96 yards in two games this year.

Colts Activate Quenton Nelson From IR

October 23rd, 2021 at 1:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Quenton Nelson will end up spending the minimum number of games during his first IR stay. The Colts activated the All-Pro guard ahead of Sunday night’s game against the 49ers.

A high ankle sprain stopped the three-time All-Pro’s start streak at 51 to start his career. Nelson kept that run going despite having foot surgery during training camp. Although Indianapolis went 2-1 without its top lineman, this certainly qualifies as good news for the team’s prospects in its second nationally televised game in three weeks.

The Colts will not have Braden Smith available, however. Indy’s right tackle will miss a sixth straight game due to foot and thumb injuries. Unlike Nelson, Smith has not spent time on IR this season. Nelson returned to practice earlier this week. Nelson, 25, will continue his track toward what will almost certainly be a record-setting guard extension. The Colts extended fellow 2018 draftees Smith, Darius Leonard and Nyheim Hines earlier this year. Nelson, however, has an extra year remaining on his contract thanks to the fifth-year option.

The Colts made room for Nelson by placing Julian Blackmon on IR. The second-year safety suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in practice this week. Former second-round pick Josh Jones, who joined the Colts’ practice squad this week, is now on the team’s active roster for its San Francisco trip. So is veteran wideout Keke Coutee. The Colts ruled T.Y. Hilton out earlier on Saturday. Hilton made his return from a neck injury last week, but he is now battling a quad ailment.

Colts Restructure WR T.Y. Hilton’s Contract

October 21st, 2021 at 5:14pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts have opened up a chunk of cap space. The team restructured the contract of wide receiver T.Y. Hilton today, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

The veteran wideout inked a new one-year, $8MM deal with the Colts this past offseason, and today’s move will save the organization around $2.3MM in cap space. Per Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star (on Twitter), the team converted some of Hilton’s base salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. The 31-year-old returned to the field last weekend, hauling in all four of his targets for 80 yards. Four wide receivers (Parris Campbell, JJ Nelson, Quartney Davis, and Dezmon Patmon) are sitting on injured reserve, so Hilton’s return came at the perfect time.

The veteran hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018, but he’ll still provide Carson Wentz with a reliable target. Hilton finished the 2020 campaign with 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

Colts Activate WR T.Y. Hilton, Place K Rodrigo Blankenship On IR

October 16th, 2021 at 11:58am CST by Ben Levine

T.Y. Hilton is set to make his 2021 debut tomorrow against the Texans. The veteran wideout has officially been activated from injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The team also placed kicker Rodrigo Blankenship on IR and promoted kicker Michael Badgley and safety Jordan Lucas from the practice squad.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. The 31-year-old returned to practice earlier this week, an indication that he was close to returning to the field. The veteran hasn’t had a 1,000-yard season since 2018, but he’ll still provide Carson Wentz with a reliable target. Hilton finished the 2020 campaign with 56 receptions for 762 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

Blankenship’s hip pain played a major factor in the Colts blowing a 19-point lead Monday night, as the second-year kicker missed an extra point and two field goals in an Indianapolis overtime loss. Ultimately, that injury will land Blankenship on IR, and the team will turn to their recent practice squad acquisition. Badgley is best known for his three-year Chargers stint, as the Money Badger kicked in 34 games for the Bolts from 2018-20. He made 94% of his field goal attempts as a rookie but connected on less than 73% of his tries in 16 games last season. The Titans cut Badgley after he missed a field goal and an extra point in Week 1.

Lucas joined the Colts practice squad in late September. The defensive back opted out of the 2020 campaign, but he previously appeared in 30 games for the Chiefs between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton Considered Retirement

October 14th, 2021 at 7:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Following neck surgery that forced him to sit out the start of the 2021 season, veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton briefly considered hanging up his cleats, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic on Twitter.

“The first two days out of surgery, I didn’t think I’d be back, man, to be honest with you,” Hilton said (via Akeem Giaspie of the Indianapolis Star). “It was just painful. It was very painful. I hope nobody has to go through that at all. It sucks, especially not being able to play the game that I love after being in training camp so long with my team grinding and being so happy. God is good.”

The receiver acknowledged that he talked with former teammate Andrew Luck, who decided to retire after only seven years in the NFL.

“I talked to Andrew, that was probably the wrong thing to do,” Hilton said with a smirk. “(Luck) just wanted me to be good with it, get back healthy and don’t rush it. … He was a big supporter. My family just continued to check on me, so I was good once I got over those two to three days I started feeling better.”

Hilton has established himself as one of the greatest receivers in Colts history. In nine seasons with the organization, Hilton has hauled in 608 receptions for 9,360 yards and 50 touchdowns. The 31-year-old returned to practice yesterday, starting his 21-day IR-return clock.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. Hilton will be eligible to play Sunday against the Texans. While the Colts could slow-play his return, they are 1-4 and need as many weapons as possible in the near future.

Colts’ T.Y. Hilton Returning To Practice

October 13th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

T.Y. Hilton‘s season debut appears near. The longtime Colts wide receiver is set to return to practice Wednesday. This will start his 21-day IR-return clock.

The Colts placed Hilton on IR before Week 1, and he underwent surgery after suffering a neck injury in practice. Hilton will be eligible to play Sunday against the Texans. While the Colts could slow-play his return, they are 1-4 and need as many weapons as possible in the near future.

After seriously considering signing with the Ravens, Hilton returned to the Colts on a third contract this offseason. He ranks third in franchise history in receiving yards, having passed Hall of Famer Raymond Berry late last season. The Colts have seen second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. make strides to start his second season, but Hilton coming back would certainly be a boon for their passing attack.

Beyond Pittman, who leads the team by a wide margin with 368 receiving yards, the Colts have seen Zach Pascal emerge as their No. 2 wide receiver. Hilton may slot into that WR2 role, given Pittman’s early-season work. Although Hilton — a five-time 1,000-yard receiver — has not cleared 800 receiving yards in a season since 2018, he should still have some gas in the tank at age 31. Though, injuries have become a concern for the four-time Pro Bowler in recent years. After missing just two games across his first six seasons, Hilton has missed 14 since October 2018.

Colts To Place T.Y. Hilton On IR

September 1st, 2021 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

T.Y. Hilton recently underwent surgery, according to GM Chris Ballard. As a result, the Colts will be forced to move the wide receiver to injured reserve to start the year (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star).

Hilton suffered an undisclosed upper back/neck injury in practice recently. It’s a frustrating setback with lousy timing, but Ballard says that Hilton is already starting to feel better.

Hilton, of course, is a team icon who currently ranks third on the Colts’ all-time receiving yards list. He has spent his entire career in Indianapolis since being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft. The two sides avoided divorce this year, even after allowing Hilton to reach the open market.

While Hilton is out, the Colts will turn to Michael Pittman, Parris Campbell, and Zach Pascal for offensive firepower. They might be able to get by for now, but they’ll surely miss Hilton’s deep threat potential and experience in the coming weeks.

Colts WR T.Y. Hilton To Miss Time; OT Sam Tevi Suffers Torn ACL

August 29th, 2021 at 10:28am CST by Rory Parks

Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton is expected to miss multiple weeks due to an injury sustained in practice on Wednesday, as Stephen Holder of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Hilton is dealing with an upper back/neck malady, and it is unclear exactly how long he will be sidelined (Twitter link).

Hilton, of course, is a team icon who currently ranks third on the Colts’ all-time receiving yards list. He has spent his entire career in Indianapolis since being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, though it appeared this offseason that a divorce may be in the cards. The team let Hilton hit the open market, and he received a strong offer from the Ravens. He was on the verge of signing with Baltimore — who offered him considerably more money — before an 11th-hour call from Colts owner Jim Irsay convinced him to change his mind.

Indianapolis was looking forward to fielding an intriguing collection of WR talent with Hilton, Michael Pittman, Parris Campbell, and Zach Pascal. Campbell, a 2019 second-rounder, has played in just nine games in his pro career due to injuries of his own, and Pittman is entering his second professional season. So Hilton’s experience will be beneficial to this group, and Holder notes in a separate tweet that he and QB Carson Wentz — whose Week 1 availability is also up in the air — were starting to build real chemistry in practice.

If Hilton is indeed forced to miss regular season action, another roster spot for players like Dezmon Patmon, Ashton Dulin, and Mike Strachan could be there for the taking. The Colts could also peruse the cuts that will soon be coming en masse for other options.

In other unwelcome news, Colts offensive tackle Sam Tevi has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire 2021 season, as Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. In Wells’ estimation, Tevi was on the roster bubble anyway. Eric Fisher, who will ultimately step in as the club’s starting left tackle, may not be ready for the start of the season, but Julie’n Davenport has taken the bulk of first-team reps at LT recently, and it sounds as if Indy prefers to deploy Davenport as the swing tackle once Fisher returns.