Colts’ Robert Mathis unlikely to play in Saturday’s preseason game

This Saturday the Colts will play their third preseason contest of the year, marking the game in which the starters typically play the most. Head coach Chuck Pagano said yesterday that the starters will likely play into the third quarter, but at the same time it’s clear that not everyone will be playing.

For example, there are several injured players that the Colts won’t rush back, and Pagano added another player today that probably won’t play: Robert Mathis.

Though he said that Mathis “probably [will] not” play this weekend, he insisted that it’s not due to any injury. Instead, it’s just because Mathis is 35 years old, which is a lot of wear and tear on his body over his career. “You don’t need to see him play,” Pagano said. “I don’t need to see him play. Nobody in this room needs to see him play.” When the time comes in the regular season, Mathis will be ready. “He has not forgotten how to play,” Pagano insisted.

Mathis hasn’t played at all in the preseason yet, but it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that Mathis is unlikely to play this week either. As Pagano said, he’s a veteran who doesn’t need to prove himself and will be ready to go when the regular season rolls around. As long as he’s not injured (and Pagano was adamant that he’s not), then there’s no real reason for concern about this news.

Just because Mathis won’t play due to being a veteran and not needing the work, that doesn’t neccessarily apply to others. For example, Pagano didn’t rule out running back Frank Gore playing a few snaps this week even though Gore hasn’t forgotten how to play either. That doesn’t mean Gore will play, but Pagano didn’t rule it out yet.