Colts’ Trent Cole placed on injured reserve

Colts fans received some bad news about one of their veteran linebackers today.

After capturing their first victory on Sunday by defeating the San Diego Chargers 26-22, the Indianapolis Colts were informed they will be without a key contributor on the defensive side of the ball for the time being. On Tuesday, it was announced that 12-year vet Trent Cole had been placed on injured reserve due to a back injury.

The team is anticipating Cole will need surgery to fix the issue. The pass rushing outside linebacker has recorded only three tackles in the two games he has played in this season. Cole has notched no sacks in 2016 and his days remaining in the NFL are most likely numbered.

Cole’s best years were obviously as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, where he reached double-digit sacks four times. However, those days are long gone as his play and impact have deteriorated over the last several seasons. With that being said, this is still a tough blow to a porous Indianapolis Colts defense.

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For a unit that ranks 24th currently in total defense and 30th in points allowed, losing an experienced player like Cole can only do more harm. Indianapolis was already thin on pass rushers, and now the burden will fall on Robert Mathis and Erik Walden. As great as Mathis has been throughout his 14-year career, the Colts cannot expect to get too much productivity out of the 35-year-old.

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The bottom line for Indianapolis is that they are going to have to outscore their opponents in order to win football games. They simply lack talent on the defensive side of the ball. Every level of their defense is a concern, and this only puts more pressure on Andrew Luck to perform.

Luckily for the Colts, though, they play in the AFC South.