Colts Tight End Jack Doyle Ruled Out for Sunday; Mo Alie-Cox Gets Start vs. Vikings
INDIANAPOLIS — After not practicing this week due to what has been listed as an ankle/knee injuries, tight end Jack Doyle has been ruled out for the Indianapolis Colts’ Sunday home game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The two-time Pro Bowl tight end, who caught three passes for 49 yards in an opening loss at Jacksonville, will be replaced by third-year pro Mo Alie-Cox, who will make his fifth career NFL start, including one in the playoffs. Alie-Cox had two receptions for 20 yards in Week 1.
That means the Colts will be thin at a position which is important to the offense — the only other tight end on the active roster is undrafted rookie Noah Togiai, who was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia after final preseason cuts. Aside from being utilized in the passing game, tight ends are counted upon as blockers to help secure the edges for the rushing game.
Indianapolis native Jack Doyle made his second Pro Bowl in 2019.
Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports
Rookies Farrod Green and Charlie Taumoepeau are on the practice squad. Head coach Frank Reich said the team is still deciding on whether to promote a player to the active roster. The Colts signed Trey Burton in free agency, but he's on injured reserve with a calf injury suffered on the final day of training camp.
Reich said in a Friday Zoom video call that “it’s just too early to tell” if Doyle’s absence will be extended.
“We’re hopeful, but we really don’t know at this point,” Reich said. “I think at the outset, we were thinking more than that, then if you get anything better than that, great. But we’re not counting on that at this point, and there’s really no reason for us to project that at this point, right? Let’s just get through this weekend and then see where he’s at at the beginning of next week.”
The Colts (0-1) and Vikings (0-1) are both in need of a win after disappointing openers, so the loss of Doyle subtracts not just a solid player but a locker-room leader as well as an Indianapolis native and fan favorite.
Tight end Mo Alie-Cox played basketball and not football in college.
Douglas DeFelice/USA TODAY Sports
“Yeah, excited for Mo, we’ve got a lot of confidence in Mo,” Reich said. “He’ll step right up and fill the role and play the role well.”
Alie-Cox has gradually improved since joining the Colts as an undrafted rookie who played basketball at VCU. After spending most of his rookie year on the practice squad, he saw his first action in 2018, when he caught seven passes for 133 yards and two TDs in nine games. He had eight catches for 93 yards in 16 games last year.
“I’m very excited,” Alie-Cox said. “I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and continue to try to make plays. But most importantly, just get the win.”
Alie-Cox said he gets Doyle’s practice reps, so he’s not concerned about making the transition to being a starter.
“It’s just physically going out there and preparing to have a larger role, probably running more routes than I usually do, and just getting my body right for the game,” he said.
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(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
