:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47195346/usa-today-8778414.0.jpg)
The Indianapolis Colts didn't run the football much on Sunday, and one of their running backs, Vick Ballard, didn't even travel with the team due to injury. And today, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Colts waived-injured Ballard. We haven't received official word from the team about it yet, and so furthermore we don't know what corresponding move the Colts will make to replace Ballard's spot on the roster.
The #Colts have waived/injured Vick Ballard
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2015
Ballard just hasn't been able to stay healthy during his time with the Colts. Since his rookie year in 2012, he has played in exactly one game: the season opener in 2013. Later that week, Ballard tore his ACL in practice and missed the rest of the season. Then the following season, as Ballard returned from the ACL injury to take the field in training camp, he again went down with a non-contact injury, this time a torn Achilles. Another season lost. This year, Ballard again came back and worked in training camp, but he was plagued by minor injuries. He saw limited preseason action due to three different hamstring tweaks, getting 11 carries and gaining 33 yards (3 yards per carry) while also catching 3 passes for 12 yards.
READ MORE: THE COLTS CONFIRMED THE MOVE TO WAIVE-INJURED BALLARD
It was a surprise to many that Ballard made the 53-man roster out of training camp as a fifth running back, but it was made less surprising when the team waived-injured Boom Herron with his shoulder injury. Still, Ballard didn't practice at all last week and didn't even travel with the team due to his hamstring injury (he was day to day), and it sounds like that injury might not have been progressing as quickly as the Colts would have liked. Thus, they have reportedly waived-injured him (for more on what that means, read this).
He played well for the Colts in 2012 as a rookie, appearing in every game and starting 12, rushing for 814 yards and two scores while averaging 3.9 yards per carry and catching 17 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown (that overtime game-winner against the Titans). He wasn't great, but he was pretty good - and that is the highest single-season rushing total by a Colts running back in the Andrew Luck era, while Ballard also boasts the only 100-yard rushing game of the Luck era as well. His career got off to a promising start with the Colts, but unfortunately it was derailed by injuries.
The Colts have a pretty good group of running backs, with Frank Gore as the starter and then rookies Josh Robinson and Tyler Varga as backups - both of whom impressed in training camp and preseason. It wouldn't be a total surprise to see them add a player at the position, though those three make up a solid group for sure.