Colts rookie lineman Ben Heenan suffers torn meniscus, out 4-6 weeks

Colts rookie offensive lineman Ben Heenan, who the team signed out of the Canadian Football League this offseason, was injured during Wednesday night's practice and, after talking with the trainers and then walking gingerly to the sidelines, had to be carted to the locker room.  Head coach Chuck Pagano provided an update on his condition today, and Pagano said that Heenan suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery, putting him out 4-6 weeks.

Heenan, a 6-4, 315 pound lineman, was previously the first overall pick of the 2012 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders out of the University of Saskatchewan, where he played bot guard and tackle.  He played in 52 games (starting 49) over the past three seasons with the Roughriders, and in 2014 he started all 21 games.  During his time in the CFL, he was primarily a guard but also played a bit of tackle, providing great versatility - something the Colts love in their offensive linemen.  Our own Andrew Aziz provided an in-depth breakdown on Heenan, writing that Heenan "possesses the skills you look for in a starter," and that he is good in pass protection and solid in run blocking.

Many fans were excited to see what Heenan could do in adjusting to the NFL, as he is certainly a player with potential to keep an eye on.  With a question mark at the left guard position, the intrigue for Heenan just increased even more, but this is a significant setback in his development.  A rookie, Heenan will now miss the remainder of training camp and very likely the entirety of the preseason, which would have been a crucial time for him and would have provided the Colts, as well as all of us, a chance to see what the lineman could do.  He's a player that would be worth keeping around to continue to work with once healthy, but it's unclear what the Colts will decide to do with Heenan now expected to miss 4-6 weeks.  It's not as bad as many might have initially expected after seeing him carted off, but it's a tough break for a talented rookie, and hopefully Heenan comes back fully recovered very soon.