Donald Thomas activated from PUP list by Colts, now eligible to practice with team

The Indianapolis Colts today activated offensive lineman Donald Thomas from the PUP list and to their active roster, meaning that he is now eligible to practice with the team.

Thomas, along with Robert Mathis (who was activated earlier this week), began training camp on the physically unable to perform list as they recovered from injury, but unlike the regular season PUP list (which requires you to miss six games), the preseason PUP list is one you can return from at any time before the regular season starts, provided you started training camp on the list.  While on the PUP they can rehab and get in some individual work but can't practice with the team.

Now, however, Thomas can return to practice with the Colts, a significant milestone in his recovery from a torn quad.  He was a free agent signing by the Colts in 2013 and entered the season as their starting right guard, but early in the second game he suffered a torn quad that sidelined him for the rest of the year.  He then returned in 2014, and early in training camp seemed to be the favorite to be the team's starting left guard.  But he suffered another injury in a light-contact drill in camp, and it was revealed to be another torn quad.  Two torn quads, two years in a row.  That's an incredibly rough time for the lineman, but now he's trying to come back yet again and find a spot on the team.

To be perfectly honest, at this point we just don't know what to expect from Thomas.  He hasn't practiced or played for the Colts since his injury last year, so we have yet to see him in action to see how he can do.  The Colts certainly have question marks along their offensive line so adding in a player like a healthy Donald Thomas would help, but let's hold off getting too excited right now until we know exactly what he can do when he returns to the field.  The good news?  He'll likely be back out there on the field soon, as he's now eligible to practice.  Hopefully he stays healthy and returns to the level of play he was at before his first injury in 2013.