Indianapolis Colts cut cornerback Vontae Davis
After some public back and forth regarding an injury, the Indianapolis Colts have cut cornerback Vontae Davis.
The Indianapolis Colts have mishandled one injury situation this season, and quarterback Andrew Luck is officially out for the season. Now cornerback Vontae Davis, who has been dealing with a groin injury, was released on Thursday morning.
Davis did not travel with the team for last Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, which head coach Chuck Pagano tabbed as a “coach’s decision” rather than an injury concern. Davis suffered a groin injury during the preseason, and he did not make his regular season debut until Week 4.
Davis has not had a good season, as Pro Football Focus’ 84th-ranked cornerback out of 115 qualifiers. The Indianapolis Star reported Wednesday Davis will have season-ending groin surgery, after he consulted doctors outside the team.
"“I had a groin tear that I dealt with,” Davis said Wednesday. “I got different opinions on it. One doctor said I should have had surgery, other doctor told me to let it heal. I took the let-it-heal approach. I came back and probably came back a little too early and in the process, I probably hurt my teammates.”"
Colts general manager Chris Ballard had these comments about Davis during a radio appearance earlier in the day.
Chris Ballard, on @JMV1070 right now, says Vontae Davis was cleared by docs/trainers earlier in season. No fudging of injury report whatsoever since. "He hasn't played very well."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) November 8, 2017
Davis is in the final year of his contract, and any team that claims him would be on the hook for the little over $4.2 million he’s due for the rest of the season. He’s unlikely to be claimed on waivers, with the decision he will undergo groin surgery, but Davis should hit the free agent market at 100 percent health next March ready to prove he’s still a top cornerback in the league.
Next: NFL Power Rankings: Week 10
Davis and Pagano clearly had a personal falling out, for whatever reason, and essentially calling out Colts doctors by seeking outside opinions surely did not sit well. But the benefit of any doubt favors the player here, with how far in over his head Pagano is as a head coach and the Colts’ general mismanagement of Luck’s shoulder injury situation.