Getty Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich saw two of his team's players suffer injuries in Week 1 of the preseason.
Potential Indianapolis Colts starting cornerback Isaiah Rodgers suffered a head injury during Week 1 of the preseason against the Buffalo Bills. He will begin the next week of practice in the league’s concussion protocol.
But Rodgers provided a little insight into how he was feeling following the game on August 13. The good news is, the head injury does not appear to be serious.
Rodgers revealed as much with a short tweet.
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Rodgers Plays Well Before Exit
Before leaving against the Bills, Rodgers reportedly played 9 snaps. He recorded 1 solo tackle and 1 pass defense. Rodgers also intercepted Buffalo quarterback Case Keenum.
But unfortunately, Rodgers suffered his head injury on the interception return. He took a hit to the helmet near the sideline at the end of his return.
Stephon Gilmore, Kenny Moore and Brandon Facyson played together as Indianapolis’ starting cornerbacks against Buffalo, but Rodgers still has a chance for significant playing time this season. During training camp, he has been competing with Facyson for the second outside cornerback spot opposite Gilmore.
Rodgers started 1 game last season, which was his second year in the NFL. He posted 49 combine tackles, including 39 solos and 1 tackle for loss. He also had 7 pass defenses and 3 interceptions.
That’s not bad for a player who was a sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Rodgers played 48.12% of Indianapolis’ defensive snaps last season as the team’s No. 4 cornerback. If healthy, he should be line for a similar role this fall.
Other Colts Injuries in Week 1 of the Preseason
Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters after the team’s first preseason game that wide receiver Keke Coutee suffered an injury to his groin as well. There was no real indication, though, of how serious it is.
Before exiting, Coutee received 1 target and did not have a catch. He was one of 20 pass catchers for the Colts to receive at least 1 target versus the Bills.
Coutee is competing to earn a backup wide receiver role with the Colts this preseason. At 25 years old, he’s actually one of the more experienced wideouts on the team’s roster. Furthermore, other than Michael Pittman Jr., Coutee is the only Colts receiver who has recorded at least 400 receiving yards in a single NFL season.
But he’s firmly behind Parris Campbell and Alec Pierce on Indianapolis’ receiver depth chart. Coutee is with competing with Ashton Dulin, Dezmon Patmon, Mike Strachan, Isaiah Ford and a few undrafted free agents for the final couple spots at receiver on the roster.
Coutee has posted 84 catches, 946 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in his four-year NFL career. Last season, he posted 1 catch for 5 yards in 2 games with the Colts. Coutee spent most of the 2021 season on the Indianapolis practice squad.
In 2020, he recorded career-highs of 33 receptions, 400 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns with the Houston Texans. The Texans drafted Coutee in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Colts did not suffer any other injuries in Week 1 of the preseason according to reports. They will host the Detroit Lions in their next preseason matchup on August 20.