Indianapolis Colts veteran wide receiver T.Y. Hilton underwent neck surgery and was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) to start the 2021 season, according to GM Chris Ballard.
Ballard said Hilton would be back “sooner rather than later” and mentioned that the veteran is already feeling some relief.
“It was not a major procedure,” Ballard added.
It remains unclear exactly how many games Hilton will miss, but losing him should not be overlooked going into the season. Hilton brings a strong amount of leadership and reliability to the Colts’ locker room and team in general.
While Hilton’s role role may have been slightly reduced over the past few seasons, he still attracts double teams more often than not. As one of the team’s more polished route runners, Hilton always has a knack for getting open.
Hilton has only missed 10 games in his career, and the Colts have continuously struggled with him off the field.
The good news? Indianapolis saw Michael Pittman Jr. take major strides towards the end of last season. Parris Campbell, when healthy, has shown the potential to be an explosive playmaker. Zach Pascal has been one of the team’s most reliable targets over the past two seasons, stringing together back-to-back 600-yard receiving campaigns.
With Hilton’s absence, the Colts are going to need Pittman Jr., Campbell and Pascal to step up in a major way until one of their captains is able to return to the starting lineup.
