Last year with Carson Wentz at quarterback, the Colts didn’t utilize running back Nyheim Hines in the passing game as much as they had in 2020.
Back in his third season, Hines led the club with 63 receptions, finishing second on the club with 862 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns.
Those numbers helped Hines earn a contract extension worth $18.6 million over three years last September. But the running back caught just 40 passes for 310 yards with one touchdown in 2021.
With Matt Ryan at quarterback in the upcoming season, that’s likely to change. In May, head coach Frank Reich joked that he’d pick Hines for his fantasy team in 2022. And then Hines was working with receivers during drills in June.
“We’ve done that before, probably a little bit more during this OTAs — just wanting to see, test his limits,” Reich said earlier this month. “How much can he do? We always try to get him involved in the pass game anyway, but get him a little more work at receiver during a time when this is more of a pass camp. This is more of a pass camp than it is anything. So, a good opportunity for him to get that cross-training.”
Hines has not missed a game in his four pro seasons. He’s recorded 210 catches for 1,537 yards with seven receiving touchdowns plus 1,169 yards rushing and nine rushing touchdowns in his career.
