Getty Interim head coach Jeff Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts promoted two players from the practice squad after ruling out two starters for Week 11.
The Indianapolis Colts announced on November 19 that they have elevated two players from their practice squad for Week 11 — defensive end Kameron Cline and tight end Nikola Kalinic.
Both Cline and Kalinic received their promotion a day after the Colts ruled out starters at each of their respective positions. Defensive end Kwity Paye and tight end Jelani Woods will not play against the Philadelphia Eagles because of injuries.
Paye is dealing with an ankle injury while Woods has an injured shoulder.
Our final practice report for #PHIvsIND.
Colts Rule Out Paye & Woods, Thin at Defensive End
In addition to not having Paye, the Colts will also be without defensive end Tyquan Lewis, who suffered a season-ending injury, in Week 11. That makes Indianapolis pretty thin along the edge of its defensive line.
Dayo Odeyingbo will likely get the start in Paye’s place. He’s never made a start in the NFL. The Colts drafted him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Odeyingbo has posted 16 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in 20 career games. He has recorded 10 combined tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks this season.
Also rotating in at defensive end for the Colts will be Ifeadi Odenigbo and Ben Banogu. Odeyingbo and Odenigbo have contributed this season by playing more than a quarter but under one-third of the team’s defensive snaps. Banogu has lined up for 8% of Indianapolis’ plays on defense.
Yannick Ngakoue will start again opposite of Odeyingbo.
The Colts have a little bit more depth at tight end. Even without Woods, Indianapolis has tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson who can catch passes. Granson leads all Colts tight ends with 24 receptions and 233 receiving yards. Alie-Cox is second on the team among tight ends with 13 catches and 149 yards.
Woods has hauled in 7 passes for 79 yards on 13 targets this year. But he’s made the most of those opportunities, as Woods is tied for the team lead with 3 receiving touchdowns this year. Wide receiver Parris Campbell also has 3 receiving scores.
Cline Set to Make Season Debut, Kalinic Returns to Active Roster
An undrafted rookie from South Dakota, Cline has played in two NFL games in his career. The last time he appeared on an active NFL roster was Week 5 last year when Indianapolis faced the Baltimore Ravens. Cline also appeared in one game during the 2020 season.
He will be making his season debut against the Eagles.
In those two previous games, Cline posted 2 combined tackles — 1 solo and 1 assist. He played 12 defensive snaps in his NFL debut in 2020. Last season, he didn’t play on defense but lined up for 9 special teams plays.
Cline recorded 7 sacks, 22 tackles for loss and 121 total tackles in four college seasons.
Kalinic made not only his season debut but NFL debut last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. He played 7 offensive snaps and 9 snaps on special teams. Kalinic didn’t record a target during those opportunities.
A Toronto native, Kalinic played college football at York. He was an undrafted free agent this past offseason. Kalinic didn’t make the Colts roster out of training camp but returned to the team on the practice squad on August 31.