NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - DECEMBER 03: Braden Smith #72, Samson Ebukam #52 and Dayo Odeyingbo #54 of the Indianapolis Colts prepare to take the field prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts have only been practicing for a few days, but have already lost one starter in Samson Ebukam to a season-ending injury.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport delivered some tough news for Colts fans. He posted to X that Ebukam will miss the 2024 season after suffering a torn Achilles in training camp.
#Colts veteran DE Samson Ebukam, who went down in practice yesterday, tore his Achilles, source said. His season is over before it began.
Ebukam had gone down in practice on Sunday, July 28. James Boyd with The Athletic noted that the team initially thought Ebukam had a calf injury. Instead, he’ll begin the long rehab process in hopes of being ready for 2025.
Samson Ebukam’s Football Career
It’s been a long journey for Ebukam. But considering where he came from, it’s an incredible story.
Originally born in Nigeria, Ebukam moved to the United States at nine years old. He started to show some potential in high school as a football player, but only received scholarship offers from Eastern Washington and Portland State.
Ebukam took the Eastern Washington offers, where he would become an FCS star. He was a three-time All-Big Sky selection and an FCS All-American in his final college season. In 38 games, he racked up 44 tackles for loss and 24 sacks.
That breakout FCS career helped Ebukam get taken in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. The Los Angeles Rams took a flier on him, and he became a consistent contributor on defense. He spent three seasons with them before playing the next two years for the San Francisco 49ers.
However, it wasn’t until he arrived in Indianapolis that Ebukam had a career year. The Colts gave him a three-year, $24 million deal before the 2023 season. He lived up to that deal by posting a career high 9.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Expectations were high for Ebukam to post his first season with double-digit sacks in 2024. Unfortunately, fans will have to wait at least one more year as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
Who Will Replace Ebukam?
Ebukam’s injury is a huge blow to the Colts defense. However, there are other defensive ends on the roster who will now have the opportunity to step up.
Kwity Paye is a former first-round pick hoping to have a breakout year. He had a career-high 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles this past season. He’s slowly but surely improved his sack numbers in each of his three NFL seasons. If that trend continues, Paye could reach double-digit sacks this season.
The Colts also took another pass rusher in the first round of this year’s draft in UCLA star Laiatu Latu. Prior to his time with the Bruins, Latu had been forced to medically retire by the Washington Huskies. He went on to become a consensus All-American in 2023, finishing the season with 21.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Latu will have to play a key role with Ebukam headed to injured reserve. Rookies can take some time to get acclimated to the NFL, but Latu’s pass-rushing polish and athletic frame should allow him to catch up quickly.
If Latu takes longer than expected to get up to speed, look for other players like Tyquan Lewis and Dayo Odeyingbo to carry the load.