Rock Ya-Sin needs surgery, but Colts don't face 'major' injury issues this offseason

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts believe their roster has come to the end of the season without facing any new injuries that might linger into the 2022 season, an issue that became a significant problem at the beginning of the 2021 season.

Darius Leonard, Quenton Nelson, Eric Fisher and Dayo Odeyingbo, among others, reported to training camp with lingering injuries.

Rock Ya-Sin, the third-year cornerback who blossomed into a front-line starter this season and left the season finale against Jacksonville due to hip and ankle injuries, is expected to undergo surgery.

“I think he might have to undergo a procedure, but it’s not major,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “Coming out of the game, and out of the season, I don’t think we have anything major. I hope I’m not wrong there.”

Two Colts, whose injuries were previously known, are in the middle of lengthy rehabilitations.

► Free safety Julian Blackmon tore his Achilles tendon in practice in October, and is doing well in his recovery, although Ballard did not want to make a prediction on whether or not Blackmon would be ready for the start of training camp. Veteran running back Marlon Mack tore his Achilles tendon in the season opener in 2020, and he was able to return by the start of training camp.

► Defensive end Tyquan Lewis also faces a lengthy recovery after tearing his patellar tendon against Tennessee. Lewis is a free agent, but the Colts remain high on his versatility on the defensive line; Lewis had 14 tackles, 2.5 sacks, six quarterback hits and an interception at the time of his injury.

The team is also optimistic that the two franchise cornerstones it drafted in 2018, Nelson and Leonard, are beyond the injuries that plagued them this season, and confident that their injuries are not chronic.

“No, it doesn’t look like it at this point,” Ballard said. “It looks like both of them are good.”

Nelson, in particular, is healthy after going through two offseason surgeries, a training camp surgery to remove a loose piece of bone from his foot, a high ankle sprain and a recurrent back issue.

Leonard, who underwent surgery on his ankle in June in the hopes it would heal by the time the regular season started but ended up playing through pain, has a full offseason to let his ankle recover. Once he got on the field, Leonard was open about the fact that he didn’t expect the ankle to fully heal until after the season.

“Darius worked his ass off, and he played,” Ballard said. “I think you saw it early in the season. He wasn’t quite right, but he was fighting through and playing.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts don't face 'major' injuries, although Rock Ya-Sin needs surgery