One of the moves the Colts made to get down to 53 players this week involved placing edge rusher Samson Ebukam on the injured reserve list.
Ebukam tore his Achilles during the team’s third training camp practice, so it was no surprise that he landed on the list. What was notable was that the Colts designated Ebukam for return during the regular season under a new rule allowing teams to make two players eligible for return if they went on IR on cutdown day.
On Wedensday, General Manager Chris Ballard acknowledged that Ebukam’s return this season is unlikely but that it’s worth leaving the door open for a player who had 9.5 sacks last season.
“It’s a long shot, there’s no doubt,” Ballard said, via the team’s website. “But if you’re going to bet on somebody, you bet on Samson. It’s a long shot, but you never know.”
Ebukam’s recovery and rehab is unlikely to generate the same kind of attention that Aaron Rodgers got last season, but the prospect of getting a late-season jolt from a talented pass rusher is something that could become a storyline if the Colts are able to keep themselves in contention for the long run.
