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The Indianapolis Colts have faced a tough start to training camp. After Carson Wentz elected to have surgery on his foot for an injury he suffered during the first week of practice, Quenton Nelson is the latest name on the treatment table. Nelson has a bone issue in his foot and will have surgery Tuesday.
The Colts guard is expected to miss 5 to 12 weeks as he goes through recovery post surgery, the same amount of time Wentz is expected to miss following Monday's surgery. Wentz and Nelson are the two most important players in the Colts' offense. The injuries will serve as a huge punch in the gut for head coach Frank Reich.
The Colts were expecting Nelson's injury to be minor, and after hurting his foot during Monday's practice, he was spotted walking around with a boot on Tuesday. The expectation at the time was that it was just a precautionary measure. With news breaking that he will also be out for a long period of time, the nightmare continues for Indianapolis.
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Quenton Nelson's career
It would be impossible to think of a better start to a career than what Nelson achieved with the Indianapolis Colts. Since being drafted with the sixth pick in the 2018 draft, Nelson has been a superstar, lodging First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors every year of his career.
It was clear from way before the 2018 draft that Nelson had everything needed to become one of the best guards of all time, and his path to do so has been religiously followed since then.
In his three years in the league, Nelson has allowed a total of three sacks. In 2020, he had a single sack and 15 pressures allowed in 16 games, extraordinary numbers from an extraordinary talent.
Impact of Nelson's injury on the Colts offense
Nelson's injury is going to hurt the Colts offense in an inexplicable manner.
Of course, the fact that he's one of the best linemen in the NFL is reason enough. The fact that the Colts will have a backup quarterback running things is an even bigger problem, as he won't have the confidence of a solid interior offensive line to protect him.
The running game will also suffer, as Nelson was nearly perfect when opening running lanes for the Colts running backs. The entire offense will be downgraded until he comes back.
If his injury cropped up with a healthy Carson Wentz as the starter, its effects would be diminished by the fact that Wentz is a mobile quarterback who, weirdly enough, is a better player when throwing on the run.
With the quarterback and the best lineman out, Indianapolis will have a huge mountain to climb during the first weeks of the regular season.
