The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Colts take another injury hit
Center Kelly needs foot surgery, further weakening O-line.
Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly will have surgery on his injured foot and will be out indefinitely.
Coach Chuck Pagano made the announcement Thursday, the final day of training camp. Kelly was injured during a joint practice with the Lions last week and did not play in Sunday’s preseason opener.
He was Indy’s first-round draft pick in 2016, started all 16 games and did not give up a sack. Kelly solidified a spot along the offensive line that had been a revolving door for each of Andrew Luck’s first four seasons.
The Colts have had right guard Joe Haeg and left guard Jack Mewhort snap the ball occasionally in practice but Deyshawn Bond, an undrafted rookie, started the preseason opener.
Luck is still recovering from shoulder surgery and nobody is saying when he might be activated from the physically-unable-to-perform list. Though general manager Chris Ballard said the strength in Luck’s throwing arm is returning and the franchise quarterback’s longterm prognosis is promising, team owner Jim Irsay insisted Luck will not be rushed back.
Irsay just doesn’t think it’s worth it, and the patchwork state of the Colts’ offensive line may factor into the timing of that decision.
Browns: The team announced it has partnered with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission to bid to host the NFL draft, which has swelled into a three-day made-for-TV spectacle and showcase for the league.
The group delivered its application to league headquarters in New York last week, and as luck would have it, Commissioner Roger Goodell visited the team’s headquarters on Thursday.
“I noticed that draft announcement on my way in,” Goodell said as he sat next to Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam during a fan forum before the team’s final training camp practice.
Meantime, Josh Gordon’s return to the Browns from an NFL suspension remains uncertain. The former Pro Bowl wide receiver hasn’t played in the regular season since 2014 and Goodell provided little information Thursday when asked if Gordon will be re-instated before this season.
“That’s not under active consideration, to my knowledge,” Goodell said. “At least hasn’t gotten to my desk yet.”
Broncos: Paxton Lynch has gotten the bulk of the work with the first-team offense this week and will start Saturday’s exhibition game against the 49ers as the Broncos look for either Lynch or last year’s starter Trevor Siemian to emerge in the quarterback competition.
“We’d like the decision made by itself,” Broncos GM John Elway said Thursday. “We want one of them to take the reins and take over. That would be the ideal situation. We’ll get through this game and see what happens.”
After a somewhat shaky performance in the first day of joint practices with San Francisco, Lynch was much sharper on Thursday.
Seahawks: Center Justin Britt signed a multiyear contract extension that will keep the anchor of the offensive line in place beyond the 2017 season. It’s believed to be a three-year deal and removes concern that Britt could leave in free agency after this season when his rookie contract expires.
“He has been a fantastic leader for us up there,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He had an excellent season and played three spots and started at tackle, guard and center now. We really think he is in the best spot for him.”
Britt, a second-round pick in 2014 out of Missouri, is one of the few offensive linemen that Seattle has signed to a contract extension in the past decade.
Carroll also said linebacker K.J. Wright is expected to rejoin the Seahawks on Monday after undergoing a “process” on a sore knee that caused him to be away from the team this week.
49ers: Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster has a mild AC joint sprain in his surgically repaired right shoulder and was held out of contact during practice with the Broncos. The team says the injury is not related to the torn rotator cuff that Foster had an operation on before the draft. That injury helped contribute to Foster sliding in the first round before San Francisco traded up to No. 31 to draft the former Alabama linebacker.
Foster has been impressive so far in camp and has moved into a first-team role, Coach Kyle Shanahan said he expects Foster to be able to play in Saturday’s exhibition against Denver.
Jets: Linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin tweaked his back and sat out practice Thursday, leaving him uncertain for the preseason game at Detroit on Saturday night.
Mauldin had been dealing with a back issue earlier during training camp, but returned to the field Wednesday. Coach Todd Bowles said he was unsure how long the third-year linebacker would be sidelined.
Patriots: Former nose tackle Lester Williams, who started in the franchise’s first Super Bowl after the 1985 season, has died. He was 58.
The team says Williams died at home Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala. It did not give other details.
Williams was the 27th overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft out of the University of Miami.