The Indianapolis Colts received some encouragement on Tuesday, as both starting quarterback Carson Wentz and left guard Quenton Nelson were seen walking around ‘bootless’ at training camp practice despite each having undergone recent foot surgery respectively (via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer):
From what I heard: No, it’s not insignificant that Carson Wentz and Quenton Nelson were already back at practice today (no boots, no wraps) just a week after both had foot surgery. Still a ways to go, but team likes where both player is at.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 10, 2021
The original recovery timetable for each was an estimated 5 to 12 weeks.
However, every athlete’s body is different, and if Tuesday’s training camp practice was any clear indication, it’s possible that both Wentz and Nelson could be on the shorter side of that recovery timeline for fully returning to the football field.
The Colts could certainly use them sooner rather than later too.
Indianapolis opens up the season against the likes of the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens—which is a gauntlet of a 5-game stretch.
Meanwhile, incumbent replacement starter, 2nd-year quarterback Jacob Eason, has yet to fully lock up the job with a so-so training camp showing so far—which has cracked open the door a bit for rookie 6th round pick Sam Ehlinger to earn more first-team practice reps.
Lastly, the Colts offensive line has simply struggled in training camp against their defensive line counterparts—especially on the left side, already without a starting caliber left tackle (with free agent signee Eric Fisher also still on the mend).
With Tuesday’s surprising development, Colts fans are hopeful for a speedy recovery for both starters, each of whom is very critical to the team’s underlying success.
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