The Indianapolis Colts didn’t get off to the kind of start they were hoping for on Sunday.
On their opening drive, quarterback Daniel Jones kept his streak of having a first-quarter turnover alive. Will Anderson strip-sacked him, and the Houston Texans got on the ball.
That was just the start of the bad news, though.
The Colts took the field defensively, and Laiatu Latu got injured not long after.
Laiatu Latu Injury Update
Latu’s injury wasn’t immediately apparent exactly what it was.
It could’ve been a shoulder issue with the way he was holding his left arm — or he could’ve been using that arm to hold his core.
He’s either favoring his left shoulder or holding his midsection.
— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) September 27, 2026
The Colts don’t have the best defensive line, and they’re 0-2, and their pass rush could use some help — a Latu injury doesn’t help any of that.
If Latu has to miss time at defensive end in the Colts’ base 4-3 defense, they’ll need to use either Caden Curry or J.T. Tuimoloau more often. Both of them are relatively unproven at the NFL level.
Update: It’s a chest injury and officially questionable to return for Latu, which the Colts announced during the first half.
Who is Laiatu Latu?
Laiatu Latu was the Colts’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft at No. 15 overall.
He’s a 25-year old defensive end who measures 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds.
Latu played in all 17 games as a rookie and had 32 tackles with 4.0 sacks.
In 2025, Latu was a star. He started 16 games and intercepted three passes. He also had 8.5 sacks out of his 45 tackles.
Latu has forced four fumbles through his first three NFL seasons, including this one.
This year so far in two games, Latu had 10 tackles, including half a sack.
The Colts certainly don’t want to be without him for long.
Colts’ Laiatu Latu Injury Update Isn’t Good News