Colts retained LB Brackett with five-year deal

The Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett has wished that he could finish his NFL career as a Colt, and that may come true- the Colts have offered him a new contract that will keep him in the Colts jersey for the next five years, just a few hours after the 29-year-old linebacker officially became an unrestricted free agent.




“Obviously, this is a great place to play and when you get a chance to stay a Colt for life, you usually jump at it,” Brackett said during a news conference at the team’s complex. “That’s why I wanted to do everything within my power to make this my home.”

According to reports, the five-year contract will offer Brackett a pay $33 million, including a $12 million signing bonus and is likely to make him the team’s highest-paid linebacker in a decade. It’s lucky enough for Brackett to be able to stay with the Colts after becoming unrestricted free agent, and such a big contract is easily taken as the reward for Brackett’s performance during the seven seasons he has spent all only with the Colts.

Colts have rarely made offers to retain unrestricted free agent linebackers. Since the end of the 2002 season, they have allowed four linebackers to leave as unrestricted free agents, including Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington, Cato June and David Thornton.

Colts are worrying about long injury list

Last Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets was really a big strike to the Indianapolis Colts, who practiced Wednesday without as many as fourteen players, including five defensive linemen.




Safety Melvin Bullitt with shoulder injury and wide receiver Pierre Garcon with hand injury practiced but on limited basis. Pro Bowl defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis both sat out the practice. Freeney was all right and was just having his normal rest day, but Mathis has already missed last week’s game because of a quadriceps injury, which may also keep him out of this Sunday’s season finale Buffalo Bills.

Other players who did not put on their Colts jerseys to practice included left tackle Charlie Johnson with foot, wide receiver Austin Collie on his rest day, cornerbacks Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey and linebacker Clint Session with knee injury.

Three Colts might be unable to take part in Saturday scrimmage

Donald Brown, the Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick, did not participate in the practice Friday afternoon. According to coach Jim Caldwell, the reason was that the running back was in need of rest because of sore muscles.



However, Brown was not the only player who had health problem. Running back Mike Hart rolled his right ankle early in the afternoon session, so he did not finish the practice. Caldwell told reporters that the team had not been sure about details of the injury. As for another player, backup quarterback Jim Sorgi, who hurt his right hamstring on a handoff, Caldwell said it may be caused by cramps.

It was really urgent for the Colts to find solution of injured players before the intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday.

Three-time MVP Peyton Manning was on Colts’ first training camp practice

As the Colts began their first training camp practice on Monday, they have three-time MVP Peyton Manning and No. 1 draft pick Donald Brown on field. Both were wearing red practice nfl jerseys.

The practice was held on the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology field, where Manning had been for the first time since August 2007. Last season he had an injury on knee and unwent a surgery, thus missed all of the training camps.

As for Brown, he was the Colts’ No. 1 draft pick and it was also the first day he was playing on the practice field after agreeing to a contract with the Colts for unsigned players are not permitted to practice.

To new coach Jim Caldwell's gladness, everyone reported to camp on time without any distraction.