The Indianapolis Colts EDGE rusher depth took a turn for the worse in training camp when their leading sacker from a season ago suffered a significant injury. Samson Ebukam exited the first week of camp with an apparent Achilles injury. An MRI determined that he had torn his Achilles.
The Colts placed Ebukam on injured reserve on the roster cutdown deadline with a designation for return, opening the door for a possible return. However, he is a long shot and will likely miss the entire season because Achilles injuries are typically season-ending. Due to his injury, their rookie was poised for an extended role on the defense.
Laiatu Latu, their 15th overall pick from this year’s draft, entered his rookie season as the backup EDGE rusher behind starters Kwity Paye and Tyquan Lewis. Latu played 31 of 79 defensive snaps in Week 1 and recorded zero tackles, one pressure, and one hurry. He played 28 of 70 defensive snaps in Week 2 and recorded one tackle, one stop, and a fumble recovery (PFF) before exiting the game.
The Indianapolis Colts rookie exited Week 2 with an injury
Laiatu Latu injured his hip in the fourth quarter in their 10-16 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Latu didn’t return to the game, and the Colts ruled him out. He did not elaborate post-game about the injury and said the trainers would check him out later.
“The rookie was declared out with a hip injury during the fourth quarter, and he did not offer any insight in the locker room, saying only that he was going to get checked out by trainers after showering,” via Joel Erickson of the Indy Star.
The Indianapolis Colts rookie appears to have dodged a major injury
According to Jordan Schultz of Schultz_Report, Laiatu Latu appears to have avoided a significant injury and should be ok. He will undergo further tests on Monday to confirm the severity. We will update you once we have more information. Right now, Colts fans can exhale a sigh of relief.
Source: #Colts rookie pass rusher Laiatu Latu, who left Sunday’s game vs the #Packers with a hip injury, “should be fine.”
Latu will undergo further tests today to confirm, but it appears Indy dodged a bullet. pic.twitter.com/9TFmuxUkm8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 16, 2024
