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The Indianapolis Colts have been practicing for only a few days but have already lost one starter to a season-ending injury.
Samson Ebukam will miss the 2024 season after suffering a torn Achilles in training camp, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Athletic’s James Boyd noted that the team initially thought Ebukam had a calf injury when he went down on July 28. 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.
Born in Nigeria, Ebukam moved to the United States at 9 years old. He started to show football potential in high school, but received scholarship offers from only Eastern Washington and Portland State.
Ebukam took the Eastern Washington offer and became 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, according to Colts Wire’s Paul Bretl.
“After the draft, GM Chris Ballard called Latu a ‘polished’ pass rusher and believes that, with his pass rush repertoire and intelligence, he can make some noise sooner rather than later in his rookie year,” Bretl wrote on July 29.
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.
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