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On the heels of an incredible win for the Colts against the Chiefs in prime time on the road, they’ve received some bad news. Second year defensive end Kemoko Turay, who went down late in the game after making a key stop of Patrick Mahomes, has broken his ankle and is out for the season.
#Colts DE Kemoko Turay, one of their promising young and talented defenders, broke his ankle last night and is out for the season, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2019
This is a brutal blow to the Colts defensive line, because Turay has really taken a big step this season and when on the field, he’s been a markedly improved player. During his rookie season, Turay flashed great speed and pass rush ability, but lacked refinement and an ability to win with his hands or put together a secondary pass rush move.
After an offseason training with Colts legend Robert Mathis, Turay was off to a good start in 2019 and looked like a potential breakout candidate. He struggled early on with injury keeping him limited in his participation, but his ability to be a disruptive force off the right side was a big factor in the Colts win last night.
Through four weeks, Kemoko Turay’s 26.5% pass-rush win rate ranks 1st among 124 qualifying edge defenders! Turay has only rushed the passer 34 times on the season. #Colts pic.twitter.com/ratA8LMmRf
— PFF IND Colts (@PFF_Colts) October 5, 2019
Now the Colts will have to face the reality of finishing out this season without him, a prospect that is not great. This isn’t a team that can afford to lose talent in their pass rush, and benefits from the ability to keep their defensive linemen fresh. The NFL season is a major grind, but it seems that few teams have lost so many key defensive pieces through this point in the season as the Colts have.