Eight Colts players ruled out for Saturday’s preseason opener

The Colts wrapped up training camp today and are getting ready for their preseason opener this Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills, and while Andrew Luck and several of the starters are expected to play, there are eight players already ruled out.

Chuck Pagano said after practice today that Kendall Langford (knee), Henry Anderson (knee), Art Jones (ankle), Jalil Brown (foot/ankle), D’Joun Smith (knee), Tevin Mitchel (hamstring), Clayton Geathers (foot), and Hugh Thornton (ankle) won’t play in Saturday’s preseason opener.

If you’ve been paying attention to our camp coverage, none of this should be surprising. Brown, Geathers, and Thornton are all in boots, Anderson and Geathers are on the PUP/NFI lists, and Tevin Mitchel and Art Jones have been dealing with injuries as well for a while.

Preseason is of course a very important time for some of the younger players on the roster, and while guys like Kendall Langford and Henry Anderson are guaranteed roster spots regardless, guys like Tevin Mitchel and Hugh Thornton really need to get on the field and be able to compete.

If you’re going to be tuning in Saturday night for the game you won’t see the eight players listed here, but you will see Andrew Luck and the starters - if only briefly. Pagano said that the plan with Luck will be similar to past years, and while the Colts aren’t disclosing exactly how much the quarterback will play, it will likely be one or two drives to open the game before Scott Tolzien takes over.