Re-Signing Colts' Parris Campbell Should Be an Offseason Priority
Everyone likes a fast wide receiver. Well, a 4.31-second 40-yard dash is fast, and that’s what the Indianapolis Colts have in fourth-year receiver Parris Campbell.
After three consecutive years battling injuries (played 15 games out of a possible 49) he has finally come into his own in 2022, showing the Colts that he can be a legitimate threat at the position.
Now that Campbell is in the midst of a contract year, let’s discuss why he has earned the right to ink his name with Indianapolis for the foreseeable future.
Saying that the offensive playmaker couldn’t stay healthy previously is an understatement, but he has been one of the most reliable targets to throw to on the Colts this year.
In his first three seasons, Campbell had a total of 34 catches for 360 yards and 2 touchdowns. This year through a full 13 games, he has eclipsed his previous career totals in even fewer games. He’s compiled 50 catches for 497 yards and 3 touchdowns, all easy career highs.
One of Campbell’s strengths has always been his speed, but he’s been criticized, at times, for having unreliable hands. Well, this might also be in the past, as he is tops on the Colts in reception percentage at 79.4% on 63 targets, per Pro Football Focus.
With quarterback Matt Ryan struggling for most of the year, he has seemed to always be able to find Campbell on the field, working well out of the slot for short-yardage completions.
“I think he’s done such a great job from the moment I’ve gotten here of just continuing to work," Ryan told reporters about Campbell's breakout. "You can see – at least to me – his body language and his confidence is there, and he’s playing that way. That takes time. It’s hard – he had a really tough start to his career, but his mental strength and belief in himself is strong. It’s been awesome to see as a player.”
To accompany Campbell's now-consistent statistics, he is also second on the Colts in receptions, second in targets, third in receiving yards, and has a mere 1 drop on the season. Add in how rough of a passing attack the Colts have shown in 2022 and these numbers glow even more for Campbell in what essentially seems like his real rookie year.
It is easy to paint the entire 2022 campaign as a failure for the Colts, but there have been bright spots on all sides of the ball and Campbell is one of them. His story is a great one and since being healthy for the first time in his career he has stepped up to shoulder a considerable workload for a team that has had mountainous issues moving the pigskin.
For the Colts’ future, they could use a player who might only be scratching the surface of his talents.
